Every year senior citizens make a certain percentage of hospital visits because of falls, chronic illness, dehydration, and infections. One of our priorities is to prevent these injuries among our residents so they can stay out of the hospital and in their warm and inviting home at Homeplace of Henderson. There are many pieces to this plan, a portion sound procedure and some of it cutting-edge technology.
Communication with families
The first and perhaps most important piece is communication. We believe that we must effectively communicate with our residents’ family. Each resident’s family informs us of their loved one’s needs, which may be very singular to the individual. We also inform the families when different pieces of our care are administered, through active communication tools at our employee’s fingertips. It is essential that communicating information with the family is one of the first pieces in keeping our residents safe and healthy.
Observations and support
With the more specific issues, we have specific plans. One of the most difficult problems to detect in seniors is dehydration. We bring water, along with snacks, to our residents every day on schedule so that we can ensure that they stay hydrated. Additionally, we keep a close eye on infections. The first thing that is noticed is that a resident may have a behavioral change, followed by days of not feeling well. We make sure residents get consistent check-ups and monitor for any changes.
Falls are one of the leading causes of hospital visits for seniors. It’s a shame, but we know all falls, or injuries from them, can’t be prevented, but we do everything we can to keep them from happening frequently. When they do occur, every member of our staff will be ready to assist. All are first-aid certified and know CPR, so we give a resident the highest care in the immediate moments after a fall.
This could prevent a resident from going to a hospital or help a resident return to Homeplace more quickly after their hospital stay. Additionally, our assisted living residents wear pendants around their necks, which has a button for them to push that alerts staff they’ve fallen. Employees quickly check on residents after they’ve been alerted.
In memory care, pendants are used when a resident’s situation calls for one. Residents may not remember to press a button for help. That’s a major reason why we’re currently working to implement new technology to help with this important piece of care. We won’t give it all away today because we want to share the information in a later blog post, but we will say that the technology has the ability to record the falls and intuit the needs of residents without any invasion of privacy. It’s neat. Stay tuned.
To contact the Homeplace of Henderson, email Jessica Beaven at jessica.beaven@homeplaceofhenderson.com or call at 270-869-2344.
Explore current information
For today’s options, explore care and safety at Homeplace or plan a visit with our team.
For another family perspective, read about starting a conversation with your loved one.