5 Ways Health Care Providers Can Support Seniors in Transition

Transitioning a senior into home care can be a challenge. As a health care provider, it is important to have your patient’s best interest in mind while providing them with the best care possible. In order to provide the best care, it’s also important to be able to communicate with everyone in the care plan effectively, including the patient’s loved ones. Although family members may not be able to physically be there during the transition, there are many ways that caregivers can serve as a resource and provide insight to them. How? Read our 5 tips!

1. Share Any Helpful Information With The Family Members

It’s important for the patient to feel comfortable and at home during this transition. Although this tip is more applicable as a family member, caregivers are still a great resource to families and should share any helpful information they have. This can include any financial resources, housing suggestions, or past care plans. Many families are navigating this transition for the first time and with very little guidance. Oftentimes seniors transitioning into home care also use this as an opportunity to move into a more suitable home. Whether it be downsizing a house or moving into a retirement condo, choosing the right home is crucial to make sure the patient receiving care is as comfortable as possible. Advising seniors and their families to organize relevant financials beforehand, such as getting pre-approved for a mortgage, can help expedite and simplify this move. Since caregiving needs can be expensive, approaching this process prepared is the best way to make sure living arrangements are both comfortable and affordable. 

2. Treat Patients Kindly

Needing care around the clock can be one of the most difficult parts of life and it is important for care providers to recognize that their patient may be going through more than just physical illness. Rather than treating caregiving as a business, care providers should show genuine interest in their patients’ lives as well as strive to be as compassionate as possible. Care providers should treat a patient as if they’re a member of their own family, as treating them with respect is also a way to get through to them when giving medical advice. In turn, the patient will often treat the caregiver with the same level of respect and be more receptive to the care they’re receiving.

3. Help Seniors Continue To Do The Things They Enjoy

As a care provider, it is important to allow patients to have time to themselves or time to interact with loved ones. By providing this, the person receiving care will be able to have a sense of independence that often gets lost during a home care transition. Getting your loved one a tablet that suits their needs is a great way for patients to stay in touch with life outside of their home. Seniors can stay connected to loved ones using Oscar Enterprise. They can also use it to play games, get the news and focus on the things they enjoy while still getting the care they need. For example, if there is a game that the patient enjoys, caregivers can use Oscar Enterprise to foster their interests and passions while providing care.