With grant funding from the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, Senior Concerns partnered with Los Robles Health System to create From Hospital to Home: A companion notebook for caregivers of people with dementia. The goal of the notebook is to help open the lines of communication between family caregivers and hospital staff, and to help ensure the best possible transitions from hospital to home. The Hospital to Home notebook provides a form called “All About Me” for the caregiver to fill out including information about the patient, how they best communicate, what can help when providing care. The caregiver can post this next to the bed to alert any person who enters the room about how to approach the patient.
The notebook not only provides practical information and resources for the caregiver including a medication log, home safety information, common challenges for people with dementia and a resource list, but it also teaches the caregiver how to be a patient advocate. The most important resource for any person with dementia is their caregiver. This notebook hopes to empower the caregiver to ask questions, to advocate for care and to create the best situation and experience for their loved one with dementia.
In addition, to ensure patients leaving the hospital have knowledge of and access to resources to help smooth their transition back home, Senior Concerns has also created companion Hospital to Home brochure at the request of Los Robles Health System. This four page brochure provides a summary of the various Senior Concerns programs available, including the Adult Day Program, legal and financial services, Meals On Wheels, and Senior Advocacy. The brochure is given to all family caregivers of elders upon discharge.
“We hope that by informing seniors and family caregivers of the services we offer, such as Meals On Wheels, we an ultimately help reduce hospital re-admissions by helping seniors remain healthy,” explains Martha Shapiro, Senior Concerns’ Director of Programs.
