Why Your Home Care Agency Should Focus On Preventing Hospital Readmissions

It’s an unfortunate reality that hospital readmissions are common. Whether it be due to physical or mental health, many seniors have a tough time recovering from the stress of being in the hospital setting. This is where home care can play an important role – by providing you with services that help reduce the risk of readmission. Home care agencies need to take a data-driven approach when working with patients who are hospitalized and discharged before. By focusing on prevention through proactive assessment and intervention, home care agencies like Greenwich home care have been able to improve the quality of their client’s life and reduce readmissions, among other things. The following are reasons why your home care agency should focus on preventing hospital readmission and how this protects both you and its bottom line.

Preventing Hospital Readmissions Saves You Money

The main reason that home care agencies should focus on preventing hospital readmissions is simple: it saves you money. Preventing hospital readmissions by providing regular skilled services at home can help prevent a costly and painful return to a healthcare facility. When your mind and body are healthy, you will be able to leave the unfortunate cycle of being hospitalized because of stress, accidents, or other ailments. This can save you from the emotional burden as well as the financial struggles associated with repeated hospitalizations.  

Improved Total Care

In most cases, hospital readmissions have nothing to do with the original hospitalization. For example, an individual who has suffered a cardiac arrest and returned home might be readmitted a few days later, perhaps due to a fall on a slippery floor. Therefore homecare agencies should work with patients and their families to assess the reasons for readmission and take action against those factors that can be controlled or changed. There are several specific areas to consider. For example, a home care agency might help a patient transition from hospital to home by providing equipment, training family members how to use equipment, or closely monitoring the individual’s progress. Thus preventing readmissions results in better total care.

Improved Quality Of Life

By employing a proactive approach, home care agencies will not only be able to prevent hospital readmissions but also improve your quality of life as well as reduce stress on you and your family. Prevention goes beyond the hospital. Actively working with you to get better results can have a major impact on your emotional well-being and quality of life while at the same time saving you money in both direct medical costs and indirect losses.

Credibility As A Home Care Agency

By focusing on preventing hospital readmissions, agencies will develop credibility in the community as an agency that provides high-quality in-home services. This can greatly benefit them when they compete for business because it demonstrates their commitment to you and your family’s well-being beyond simply providing medical services. And who knows? Perhaps this sort of dedication will cause you to recommend them to others or speak about them favorably during conversations with friends and neighbors. Not only does this help grow their bottom line, but it also shows that they are truly focused on your needs and helping you live life to the fullest each day!

Qualification For Medicare Advantage Clients

Another reason why your home care agency should focus on preventing hospital readmissions is that it can lead to a lucrative source of new business for their agency. Many insurance companies that cater to Medicare Advantage-eligible people seek to transfer their clients to home care providers. To minimize the likelihood of them being readmitted into a hospital, the clients will be handed over to agencies with demonstrated reduced readmission rates.

This is good news for agencies because it means increased business and more opportunities for growth in terms of revenue. For patients, this spells access to better home care services which can reduce stress and help one live a healthier life overall.

Preventing hospital readmissions is a focus that can have many benefits, both for you and for home care agencies. It improves your quality of life, saves money, and shows the agency’s dedication to providing quality medical services. By focusing on preventing these expensive setbacks, agencies will receive increased business opportunities and credibility in the community. Perhaps most importantly, it demonstrates their commitment to improving your overall health, making you less likely to experience another costly return to the hospital.