Avoiding the Hospital

For many of our parents and grandparents, the hospital stands as a symbol of recovery and safety. But in reality, the hospital is not the ideal place to be for many folks. This is especially true in hospice situations. In a case like this, there is actually very little that the hospital can do that a hospice home cannot. And in reality, a hospice center is much cheaper than a hospital. While this should certainly not be a deciding factor when taking our parents' and grandparents' well being into account.

What should be taken into account is comfort and peace of mind. A hospital is oftentimes an impersonal and cold place to spend your last days. With a hospice center, your comfort is not overlooked; it is their number one priority. A hospital is often overbooked with patients and can sometimes be short staffed. This is not an ideal place in these situations.

Surgery is another thing that needs to be considered. The elderly do not heal in the same manner as the young and surgery, while full of good intentions, can often lead to medical complications or premature death. The simple surgeries that the young have are not anywhere near simple for the very old. Whether it's the anesthesia or just going under the knife, surgery should only be approached as a final option when no other choice seems to make sense.

If you have a relative in a nursing home, the hospital is even more dangerous. A recent study showed that compared with an elderly person with the same illnesses, a nursing home patient's recovery was far worse than someone of the same age who was not in a nursing home. In other words, an elderly person in a nursing home faces a higher likelihood of death than someone not in a nursing home.

This information needs to be considered when you are thinking of having treatments on an elderly relative. You certainly do not want to put them in a situation that might cause them to become even sicker or dead.

This study looked at four different types of abdominal surgery. Ulcer surgery patients fared the worst; 42 percent of nursing home patients died after this surgery. Compare that to 26 percent of all other patients.

Regardless of the reasoning, nursing home patients should only consider surgery as the last and final option. If they need surgery to save their life, then surgery should be approached with caution. Elective surgery, or surgery for a minor ailment, should be avoided. Healing is more difficult in the elderly, and for some reason, nursing home patients fare the worst out of all demographics. If you have an elderly relative in a home, you need to know the facts about their healthcare and act accordingly after considering all sides.