Preventing Hospitalizations

Our hospital support team discusses how hospitalization can be prevented

Jim is a 92 years of age living with his daughter and her family and suffers from congestive heart failure. In and out of hospital, his loved ones were at a loss for a way to cope. Doctors would send him to hospital when his lungs would fill with fluid and there they would dry to drain him out. The problem, as with many advanced in age, is that the hospital environment induced temporary dementia – confusion, agitation, inability to sleep, refusal to eat, etc., and what should have been a short admission would last three weeks. “Families can’t handle it. Jim’s family asked me if they should move him into a nursing home. I told them ‘no way. Get him home and with our help, in a few days he’ll be back to normal'”.

Nurse managers give support and advice

“Our personal care team established fluid monitoring for Jim at home where a nurse would check him with a stethoscope, along with a daily regimen of observing his weight, fluid restriction, and administration of medications. A day came when his lungs were filling with liquid and Jim’s doctor told his family to take him right to the hospital. We spoke to the doctor, knowing Jim’s situation and asked if we might try giving him an extra half dose of medicine to see if it would bring down the fluid levels. The next morning he was fine. Since we began working with Jim; Qualicare has prevented him from having to endure hospitalizations four times.

Whether you need hospital support or a nurse manager, Qualicare can help you. Contact us for more information today.