Home for the Holidays

To many, the holidays represent special time with family and friends. The holidays are about being together no matter if it’s celebrating with a few friends or joining a huge family celebration. Celebrating with those around us is what gives the holidays meaning and joy. As the song goes, there’s no place like home for the holidays.

Unfortunately, seriously ill patients are often hospitalized during the holidays for health issues that could have been prevented through better end-of-life care. A hospitalization is stressful and unwanted any day of the year, but during the holidays, it can be even more emotionally challenging.

ViaQuest helps keep your loved ones with serious illness home for the holidays. Our expert care coupled with protocols that identify patients at high risk for hospital readmission can help keep your loved one out of the hospital.

How We Can Help Keep Your Loved One Home for the Holidays

Disease Specific Care. Our team specializes in advanced illness and provides the disease specific care that controls the symptoms that often lead to rehospitalization.

Out of Hospital Care. Often patients with a serious illness bounce back to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. ViaQuest offers a seamless transition into the ViaQuest Hospice Program which focuses on symptom management, pain relief and improved quality of life. This extra layer of support helps avoid crisis situations and provides the optimal care that reduces rehospitalizations.

Individual Plans of Care. Each patient is unique and so is their plan of care. ViaQuest creates individual plans of care tailored to each patient and their specific serious illness. Patients receive ongoing evaluation and plans of care change as the disease progresses and symptoms change. Our patient-focused care helps ensure early identification and assessment of any changes in health status.

Medication Education. Of all medication-related hospitalizations that occur in the USA, 33%–69% are the result of medication noncompliance. Medications can be confusing and difficult to manage. ViaQuest educates and empowers patients and their family caregivers to understand their medications and their benefits. We help reduce complexity and put measures in place to alleviate misunderstanding, confusion or forgetfulness.

24 Hour Support. Distressing symptoms can often result in calls to 911 or a trip to the ER. With ViaQuest you have round-the-clock access to nurses, who are one phone call away.

We understand how much it means to have family and friends together during the holidays. We’re here to provide the care and support that will help your seriously ill loved one stay home safely this season. We all deserve the chance to build special memories this time of year. Accepting an extra layer of care this year may be the first step to yours.

The Reality of Traveling Home for the Holidays

This holiday season, ViaQuest is also encouraging adult children to use this opportunity to check on aging loved ones they may not have seen in a while to determine how they are really faring on their own.

As adult children return home for the holidays they may be surprised by the reality of their loved ones’ well-being. Often, adult children will return home for the holidays and realize their elderly parents are not doing as well as they have been led to believe. For children who live far away and are unable to visit often, this realization can be alarming. Your parents may have reassured you that all is going well, when in reality they are having issues. If so, it is unlikely their goal was to mislead you, but only to keep from burdening you. Another reason for misleading reassurances is that older parents often find it difficult to admit that they may be declining.

If you have not been home for a while, take advantage of going home for the holidays to perform a reality check on how your parents are really doing. It may be distressing to realize that your parents are more fragile, less mobile, and weaker than they have led you to believe.

Indications Your Loved Ones May Need an Extra Layer of Support

Here are some things to look for that can be good indicators that your loved ones may need extra support.

Check medications

Make sure elderly loved ones have been taking and refilling any prescriptions. Check to make sure prescriptions are in date and that refills are available. Take time to make sure your loved ones understand the instructions for their medications and are taking them as directed.

Ask about doctor appointments

A recent study published in JAMA showed that more than 40% of people surveyed skipped doctor appointments during the early months of the pandemic. Check in with your loved ones about doctor appointments. Did they miss appointments last year? Are they still missing them now? When is the last time they were seen by their physicians? Are they getting their routine wellness checks, as well as care needed for any chronic illness? It may be a good time to schedule follow-up appointments during your visit or even a short Telehealth appointment to check in with their physicians. This can help you ensure that your loved ones have been getting the care they need, and also give you an opportunity to connect with their providers.

Scrutinize your loved ones’ appearance

Are they well groomed and generally clean? Are their clothes clean and weather appropriate? Is hair washed, neat, and combed? Any evidence of personal neglect could be a warning sign of dementia or issues with their ability to care for themselves. Also, keep an eye out for any unexplained and noticeable bruising, as this could indicate balance and mobility problems.

Examine the overall state of the house and the yard

Any signs of neglect, including spoiled food, piled-up mail, rust or obvious mold, or even just a general impression of uncleanliness could mean that your parents have become unable to complete basic household tasks.

Pay attention to how your loved one is acting

Are there any signs of cognitive impairment? Some indicators of this could be consistent memory lapses, rapid mood swings, the inability to continue a conversation, or apparent depression. Any of these behavioral changes could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

Look for a change in habits

Do your parents seem less engaged or less playful with the grandkids? Are they sleeping more, or spending more time in a favorite chair? Did any favorite holiday traditions change? Do they seem less themselves? How are their appetites? Are they eating less? Are you noticing a marked weakness, or a loss of stamina or strength? Do they seem unstable or need support when they walk? Any of these can be signs of declining health.

Sometimes, a holiday reality check can be an alarming wake-up call, as you realize that your parents are not doing as well as they have claimed and may need some additional help. Ultimately though, it can be beneficial to realize this, so that you can get your elderly loved ones the proper care that they need.

This holiday season, we encourage you to perform a holiday reality check on your aging loved ones to ensure they are living safely and comfortably — and, if not, to determine a comprehensive and beneficial plan of action.

If you do decide that your loved ones need an extra layer of care, ViaQuest can bring an extra layer of care and support. Our care is focused on sustaining and maintaining your loved ones’ quality of life in their home — keeping them safe and comfortable. ViaQuest Hospice can help determine if such care is appropriate for your loved one. Call us today to learn more: 855.298.1722.

Tag: Home for the Holidays

Keeping a Loved One with a Serious Illness Home for the Holidays