March 6-12 will be recognized as Patient Safety Week, an annual education and awareness campaign led by the National Patient Safety Foundation to encourage and strengthen collaboration among patients, families and health-care providers.

“Patient Safety Week highlights the need for health-care participants to be informed, involved and invested in making health care safe,” said Tina Kreider, owner of Right at Home of Santa Barbara. “Our aging loved ones often require special attention and care to help them remain safe during and after a stay in a health-care facility.”


When patients are discharged from the hospital, the effects of their condition are not necessarily gone when they return home. This often makes it difficult for a patient to safely adjust back to daily life. If your aging loved one has recently been hospitalized, the following tips can help him remain safe during and after the discharge process:

» Be involved in decision-making: Talking with your loved one and his or her doctors ensures that everyone has the same goals and information, which is an important step toward a safe and healthy recovery.

» Discuss medications: Before your loved one is discharged, talk with the doctor about the medications he or she will be taking. Discuss the purpose, dosage and side effects of each so both you and your loved one can be prepared if any complications arise. One of the main causes of a slower recovery is improper use of medications.

» Schedule follow-up appointments: Find out what follow-up appointments and tests are needed. If your loved one needs assistance getting to these appointments, consider hiring an in-home care agency such as Right at Home to provide transportation since regular doctor visits are important to most patients’ recovery.

Right at Home recently launched RightTransitions, a solution to ease the transition for patients from a health-care facility to their home and to safeguard against unnecessary hospital readmissions. Right at Home works closely with discharge planners to develop a personalized plan for support services to allow patients to get back on their feet while safely recovering in their home. Services provided include communication with family and health-care providers, regular visits, medication reminders, transportation to doctors’ appointments, meal preparation and housework.

For more information on RightTransitions or other Right at Home services, click here, call 805.962.0555 or e-mail tina@rahsb.com.

— Tina Kreider is the owner of Right at Home of Santa Barbara.