When treating geriatric patients, prevention is only one-third of that for which the healthcare community should prepare. We must also consider treatment of illness in this especially vulnerable population and recovery. When elderly patients are sent home to recover from the flu, Five Star Home Health can provide a number of skilled services designed to increase your patients’ peace of mind, protect their health status, protect their caregivers, and prevent unnecessary hospitalization. An influenza care plan can include:
Bed rest affects elderly patients more negatively than younger patients. Among a test sample of healthy subjects age 67 and older, 10 days of bed rest resulted in more lean tissue loss than 28 days of bed rest caused in younger test subjects.⁴ This observed loss of muscle at a rate 3 times greater than with younger patients was with healthy test subjects and did not take into account the additional effects that nutritional compromise, inflammation, and comorbidities could have during bed rest for flu. For patients over the age of 70, bed rest is associated with a major, new disability in 1/3 of prolonged cases.² For elderly patients who may have experienced a functional loss as the result of bed rest, order a physical therapy assessment from Five Star. Our qualified physical therapists specializing in elderly care can set your patient on the path to recovering from strength and functional losses. Leading the Nation in Preventing Urgent Care Medicare’s Home Health Compare shows that Five Star Home Health leads both state and nation in prevention of unplanned emergency room care during the home health episode. Compared to other home health agencies, the patients you refer to Five Star prove 22% less likely to require urgent care. References
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