I Know It’s Boring, But Read The Hospital Discharge Paperwork!
I Know It’s Boring, But Read The Hospital Discharge Paperwork!
I remember those days! As a caregiver to my mom, I spent several days (you will lose count quickly) sleeping on a hard chair next to her in the hospital.
It feels so good when you are finally told your loved one will be discharged. You just wanted to get the heck out of there and go home where you can sleep, find some good food and not be bothered!
Then eight hours later, its like,”OMG, please somebody, get us out of here! Y’all told us early this morning that we would be leaving and it is way into the evening and no one seems to know how to get someone discharged.” You think you’re gonna lose it if one more person comes into the room and tell you that it is almost time for your loved one to go home.
But hang in there, there is some important information being tossed at you and you really need to know the information related to how to care for your loved one after they get home, especially if they have had a surgery.
There’s no worse feeling than getting home and a sea of words start to float around in your head and nothing makes sense. You starting wondering, “Did they say she can get out of bed? Can he take a bath? Is that swelling normal? Plus a million other questions.
Don’t trust your head and please don’t trust everything your loved one says! My mom had selective amnesia. She never remembered the hard things she needed to do, like get out of bed, and she never remembered the diet restrictions as she wanted to ease back into bad eating habits that were attributing to sickness, hospital visits and disrupting my life because I was tethered to the negative outcome of what she did, her actions affected my life.
Discharging day is usually full of unknowns as hospital staff perform last minute lab work, and several different medical professionals are providing information on various areas of your loved one’s care. There is information given about diet, medications and followup doctor visits.
Often in all the paperwork given are instructions related to specific do’s and don’ts related to surgery. If your loved one has had surgery, especially an orthopedic surgery, caregivers must make a point of reading the brochures and pamphlets that detail what movements your loved one can and can not make. There are often diagrams and pictures which show you what movements are harmful and what movements are allowed.
Many papers are issued and are placed in bags with leftover medical supplies and often caregivers don’t read those instructions immediately. Please don’t do that. In fact, read the instructions while still in the hospital so that you can get any clarification needed.
Six Reasons Caregivers Must Read Surgery Discharge Instructions
It tells you what the normal recovery process is, what to expect. What pain is expected?
It provides specific instructions on how to care for the incision and signs of infection.
It provides specific instruction on do’s and don’ts. You are given instructions on what movements to avoid and which movements are allowed. It provides specific instructions on lifting and carrying items, what are the limit on how much you loved one can lift.
Surgery instructions often indicate when your loved one can gradually begin to resume normal activity.
It tells how long splints and slings are to be worn.
It tells you about medications, side effects and doctor follow up visits that need to be scheduled.
Bottom Line:
Caregivers, the process of discharging from the hospital can be hectic. Reading over the discharge papers related to the surgery before you leave the hospital is recommended. When home, review with your loved one the instructions given. Oftentimes, some of the details get missed due to the load of information given by various hospital workers. Seek help from medical profession if there are concerns. Following the instructions outlined by the surgeon can prevent an injury or need for re-hospitalization.
Consuela Marshall, Occupational Therapist, Caregiver Coach
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Disclaimer: The podcast and blog are intended to provide basic information so that you can become a more informed caregiver. The information presented is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or replace consultation with any health care providers you regularly engage with. Transmission or receipt of any of this information is not intended to, and does not, create a therapist-patient relationship. This information is not provided in the course of a therapist-patient relationship and is not intended to constitute medical advice or to substitute for obtaining medical advice from a physician or therapist licensed in the state where your family may reside. We encourage everyone to consult with your physician or therapist to see if they are appropriate and safe for you.