Taking extra care of your health, or using home care services to stay well, is very important and taking preventative measures can help to keep you out of hospital. Repeated hospital admissions can be detrimental to health and wellbeing.
We know that people recover better and faster from illness or injury at home. Once hospital-based care is no longer needed, it is important to get home as quickly as possible. Avoiding an admission to hospital through living well and safely will support you to live well, for longer.
Prevention is better than cure
With ageing, there are certain risks and signs which, if ignored, may lead to spending some time in hospital. Some of the things to be vigilant for include:
- missed doctor appointments or putting off medical health checks
- social isolation
- signs of inactivity or depression
- problems with cooking, eating nutritious foods and hydration
- keeping the house clean and hygienic
- poor appetite or change in weight
- worsening of conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes
- disinterest in overall health and welfare
- decline in participating in hobbies and interests
- confusion, which may be caused by an underlying condition such as dementia
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, keeping mentally and physically active, getting good quality sleep and socialising with others, means that older individuals will be taking the positive steps needed to avert an unnecessary stay in hospital.