Tips To Hospitalize An Elderly Person

Hospitalizing an elderly person requires a lot of responsibility. It is necessary to have the capacity to attend to the multiple needs that appear in these types of situations. Physical and emotional issues arise that must be addressed in the best way.

However, there are some key points that can help. These are simple actions that make the process easier. They are aimed at providing what the older person most urgently requires.

1. Talk before hospitalizing an elderly person

The elderly person must know from the first moment that their opinion counts. Many times the elderly are treated as if they were a child.

His family (or companion) make decisions for him, without consulting him. This is a mistake, since it increases the feeling of vulnerability and anguish in the face of hospitalization.

2. Familiarization with the space

When an elderly person is hospitalized, they are introduced to a physical environment that they are unfamiliar with and that is often unpleasant. It is important that the person is located in the space where he is.

This includes helping you discover what is in your room and telling you which floor you are on, how far exits are, or where you will be referred. You must have all the relevant information.

3. Create links with healthcare personnel

Not only the physical environment is unknown, but also the people in the place. That is why it is essential to create a link with the hospital staff and help the patient to identify basic data.

It is advisable that you know the name of the person in charge of the nurses, the hours of shift change and, of course, the name of your treating physician. All of this will help you adjust to a situation that is in itself quite difficult.

4. Provide the basics

At the time of hospitalizing an elderly person, it is necessary to provide all the basic elements that they might need. This includes pajamas, slippers and the medicines or accessories that the medical staff indicates.

It is necessary to explain clearly where you can find these items in the room, if you need them. Depending on their condition, the person may also need their glasses, hearing aids, and the like.

5. Obtain and transmit sufficient information

An older person does not always fully understand what his condition is, what procedures are going to be applied and what to expect from his condition. The medical staff give explanations that sometimes escape the understanding of the patient.

Hence, it is essential to ensure that the person is well informed. For this, it is best to try to convey in a simple and affectionate way everything that the medical staff has said about your condition. This also requires that the companion inform himself correctly.

6. Create a support network

Whenever possible, you need to create a support network. When an elderly person is hospitalized, they lose social connection and easily begin to feel alone and, to some extent, abandoned. Therefore, the company of well-known people is decisive.

If the elderly person becomes depressed, their recovery will be much more difficult. It is recommended to contact those who may be interested in supporting this person and make a joint plan of visits.

This, in addition, facilitates the work of the main caregiver. In this case, you are not only helping the elderly person, but those who are in charge of them. It has a very positive effect on everyone.

7. Watch out for signs of distress

When a person is old and hospitalized, he immediately associates the situation with disability and death. Likewise, the patient experiences fear for the procedures that may be applied to him. This, together with the illness that led to the hospital, gives rise to attacks of anguish.

Older people often manifest their anxiety with episodes of confusion. There may be times when you lose touch with reality and experience delusions. If they know they have strong support, little by little they develop the strength to face the situation.

8. Monitor the feeding

One of the most worrying aspects of hospitalizing an elderly person is that feeding problems often arise. This is very serious, since at advanced ages it is easy to form a picture of malnutrition or anemia.

The right thing to do is to keep track of how he is eating and make sure he eats. If he resists, nothing better than to motivate him, explaining the importance of nutrition to overcome the disease that afflicts him.