I’ve been thinking about hospital discharges because of our advocacy campaign to add an aftercare plan for the family caregiver in the hospital discharge plan. The CARE Act, a law in more than 40 states, requires hospitals to “consult with and provide a discharge plan to the caregiver that includes the aftercare that the patient will require.” We want the law to include support and care for family caregivers, too, as part of the discharge plan.
I’m doing what I can to increase awareness for our campaign. During a phone call with a former family caregiver a few days ago, I told her about the need for an aftercare plan for the family caregiver. Her reaction to this idea still stays with me. She let out a sound I can only describe as both a sigh of relief and an exclamation of joy.
She understood what an aftercare plan, with a referral to a caregiving coach, could have meant for her. She shared how she felt leaving the hospital after her husband’s stroke. “I was crying on the inside,” she said, “because I was so scared. I was so worried how I would do all this at home.”
We need to make sure family caregivers leave a hospital with support and help and not in panic and worry.
I’d love to know about your hospital discharge process. When we share our reality of the hospital discharge process, we highlight the need for change.
Let’s write six-word stories about the hospital discharge experience, our worries, our needs. You can write as many six-word stories as you’d like. Mine are:
Waiting too long then furious rushing.
Helping fragile parent with fingers crossed.
Creating my caree’s discharge plan myself.
What are yours?
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