Initial Safety Assessments for Seniors

Author

Senior Helpers of Southwest Pittsburgh

For more information about the author, click to view their website: Senior Helpers of Southwest Pittsburgh

Posted on

Jun 06, 2023

Book/Edition

Pennsylvania - Greater Pittsburgh Area

It is estimated that there are over 3.5 million potentially preventable adult hospitalizations every year in the US. These are defined as hospital stays of at least three nights and do not include short trips to the ER.

 

As verified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, most of these stays are related to seniors not properly managing their medical conditions! To prevent these hospitalizations, a Senior Care Agency that provides in-home care must perform an assessment of a senior’s living situation to understand what areas can be improved. This evaluation should focus on 5 key areas: Safety Risks, Medical Condition Monitoring, Independence, Quality of Life, and Caregiver Support.


The home care agency should evaluate 13 key areas that a Senior must have their needs met to successfully “Age in Place”.  These areas include mobility, activities of daily living, and the number one reason for hospitalizations: proper medical condition management. After the in-home assessment is complete, the homecare agency can analyze the findings and make recommendations for corrective action. This will greatly enhance the five key areas of focus that were originally identified. To illustrate, on average, most Seniors participate in only six to eight activities that they enjoy each week. Tools such as a Quality-of-Life weekly Activity Planner can be utilized to track and increase participation in quality-of-life activities, leading to decreased depression, improved strength, and increased motivation. Safety hazards can be identified and mitigated. Furthermore, any additional gaps in the five key areas can be addressed and corrected. Some in-home care agencies can now do this electronically even generating reports that can be utilized cross-functionally across the healthcare spectrum (Doctors, Social Workers, Care Managers, etc.).


Proprietary tools such as LIFE Profile from Senior Helpers is one such example.  In short, a thorough and complete initial assessment performed by a senior care agency can have a significant positive impact on seniors, leading to better outcomes.

 

Editor’s Note:  This article was written by Jeff Kosor, owner of Senior Helpers of Southwest Pittsburgh.  He can be reached at 412-851-3223 or by email at jkosor@seniorhelpers.com. 

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