Your loved one is finally home from the hospital, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Then, a week or two later, they’re back. Hospital readmissions are frustrating, exhausting, and hard on older adults. Many are preventable with the right plan in the weeks after discharge.
Quick answer: To help prevent hospital readmission, make sure medications are correct and taken on schedule, the first follow-up appointment happens quickly, warning signs are reported early, your loved one eats and drinks enough, the home is set up to prevent falls, and someone is available to help during the first few weeks.
Why Readmissions Happen and How to Prevent Hospital Readmission
The period right after discharge is a vulnerable time. Older adults often go home weaker than before, with new medications, new instructions, and less energy to follow them. Common causes of readmission include:
- Medication errors, such as taking a stopped drug or missing a new one
- Missed or delayed follow-up appointments
- Symptoms that worsen without anyone noticing
- Dehydration and poor nutrition
- Falls at home
- Infections
- Not enough help at home
Our guide to recovering at home covers the full care transition. Here’s how to address each risk.
1. Get Medications Right From Day One
Before leaving the hospital, get a written medication list and ask what’s new, changed, or stopped. At home, compare it with what’s in the cabinet, set aside discontinued medications, and set up a pill organizer. Our medication management tips can help you build a system.
2. Make the Follow-Up Appointment Happen
A doctor’s visit within the first week or two after discharge is one of the best ways to catch problems early. Schedule it before leaving the hospital if you can, arrange the ride, and bring the discharge paperwork and medication list.
3. Know the Warning Signs
Ask the care team exactly which symptoms should prompt a call. For example, someone with heart failure may need to report sudden weight gain or swelling; someone recovering from surgery may need to watch for fever, redness, or drainage at the incision. Write these down and post them somewhere visible. Calling the doctor early can sometimes resolve a problem without a return trip to the hospital. If your loved one has heart failure, see heart failure care at home.
4. Support Nutrition and Hydration
Healing takes fuel. Encourage regular meals with protein and plenty of fluids, unless the doctor has set limits. Stock easy, nutritious foods before discharge day, and consider help with meal preparation for the first few weeks.
5. Prevent Falls
Weakness, new medications, and unfamiliar equipment raise fall risk after a hospital stay. Clear walkways, add night lights, use the walker as directed, and make sure someone is nearby for showers and nighttime bathroom trips.
6. Encourage Safe Activity
Too much bed rest can weaken muscles quickly. Follow the care team’s guidance on activity and therapy exercises. Short, frequent walks around the house are often encouraged, with help as needed.
7. Watch for Confusion
Hospital stays can trigger temporary confusion in older adults, sometimes called delirium. New or worsening confusion at home can also signal infection, dehydration, or medication problems. Report it to the doctor promptly.
8. Make Sure There’s Enough Help
This may be the most important step. Many readmissions happen simply because no one was there to notice a problem or help with daily tasks. Be realistic about family availability, especially overnight and during work hours. In-home caregivers can fill those gaps for a few weeks or longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after discharge should a follow-up visit happen?
Many care teams recommend a follow-up within 7 to 14 days. Ask the discharge planner what’s right for your loved one.
How long is the risk of readmission highest?
The first 30 days after discharge are generally considered the highest-risk period, which is why extra support during that time is so valuable.
How Briggs Home Care Can Help
Briggs Home Care helps older adults through the critical weeks after a hospital stay with medication reminders, meals, safe mobility, personal care, and rides to follow-up appointments, and we keep families informed along the way. Learn about our personal care, then find a location near you or call 1-833-960-CARE (2273).
This article is general information, not medical advice. Follow the instructions of your loved one’s healthcare team.
Related Reading
- Start here: Recovering at Home: A Family Guide to Care Transitions After Illness or Surgery
- Hospital Discharge Checklist for Families
- Advance Care Planning: How to Start the Conversation
Trusted outside resource: Medicare.gov
