Caregivers: Making the transition from hospital to home easier

(ARA) - Coming home from the hospital or other care setting after an illness or surgery can be worrisome for both patients and the friends and family members who care for them. Planning ahead can make the process much easier. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has advice that is useful to the millions of Americans who are actively involved in caregiving. Through its caregiver initiative, Ask Medicare, CMS recommends the following steps to prepare for a transition: * Plan ahead: You can - and should - start thinking about the discharge process well in advance, even as early as at the time of admission. CMS has a helpful checklist of key points in its "Planning for Your Discharge" guide, available at the "Medicare Basics" link on the home page of the Ask Medicare website at http://www.medicare.gov/caregivers/. This checklist will help you prepare for the next steps in care.
* Get ready for new responsibilities: Talk to hospital staff about what you will need to do at home, who will show you how to properly carry out any new tasks you will be taking on, such as administering medication, using medical equipment, changing bandages or giving shots. * Make needed changes to your home: You might need to rearrange your home to have room for items such as a hospital bed, walker or a wheelchair. You might need to consider installing a ramp in place of stairs - be sure to ask the hospital staff what will be needed. You should also remove area rugs and other items that may cause falls and group electrical cords together with ties or clips to keep them clear of high-traffic areas.
* Prepare for extra costs: The person you are caring for may need new medical services or medicines after coming home. Medicare may cover some of these costs, but not all. You can learn about services and care that are covered by Medicare at the "Help With Billing" and "Is It Covered?" links at the Ask Medicare home page.
* Keep a list of key contacts: Put contact information for doctors, pharmacists, home care agency staff and others involved in the care process where you can easily find them. * Don't be afraid to ask for help: If you're overwhelmed, don't hesitate to ask a friend or family member to lend a hand. If paid home health services are needed, you can learn more about home health services in the "Medicare and Home Health Care" booklet, which is also accessible at the Ask Medicare home page. It's also important to keep a file of resources on hand and to bookmark useful web sites, including Ask Medicare, the United Hospital Fund's "Next Step in Care" initiative at http://www.nextstepincare.org/ and AARP's caregiving site at www.aarp.org/caregivers. More information can be accessed through http://www.healthcare.gov/, a new web portal offered by the Department of Health and Human Services. Courtesy of ARAcontent Unsure who in your area to contact with for your home medical and home modification needs? Contact HMEprovider.com 800-951-1213 We will connect you to an expert in your area that can help with your home medical equipment, oxygen therapy, wheelchair, ramp or safety equipment needs.

Help in locating rental equipment

You've finally talked your parents into a visit, you've coordinated schedules and made the travel arrangements. Now, you begin the struggle of locating the equipment you'll need to make your home as assessable and comfortable as possible while an aging parent or loved one comes to stay. HMEprovider.com is a nationwide network of local medical equipment providers. We will work with our network to locate a provider in your area for that rental hospital bed, wheelchair, ramp or oxygen device you've been searching for.

With just a quick visit to our site http://www.hmeprovider.com/ or a phone call to 800-951-1213 we can begin the work for you. We can also connect you to providers of non-permant safety equipment like suction grab bars or bath lifts.

Do you need help locating a rental wheelchair?

HMEprovider.com has a network of local, community based providers that offer a wide variety of wheelchair rental options. Whether you're looking to rent a wheelchair for recovery from an injury or you are looking to aid in the transport of a loved one for a short term need like a vacation, the HMEprovider network can help. Most medical equipment companies carry a full line of rental chairs from light weight to heavy duty chairs. A short evaluation with a medical equipment provider can help you best determine the chairs that is appropriate for your needs. To be connected to a medical equipment provider in your area for a rental wheelchair or another medical equipment need, visit us at www.hmeprovider.com