Tips for Advocating for a Loved One Who Is Hospitalized

There’s no doubt about it—a hospital stay can be stressful for the patient and those who love them. Whether it is for a planned surgery or an illness or injury, being hospitalized often results in discomfort and uncertainty about what comes next. It can all be unsettling.

If you are a caregiver for a senior loved one who is in the hospital, you are probably feeling a little fearful and unsure. It’s tough to know just how to advocate for them to make sure they receive the best possible care. When your older family member has dementia-related memory loss, a hospital stay can be even more difficult. That’s why we’ve assembled a list of tips we hope you will find useful.

How to Be an Advocate When a Family Member or Friend Is Hospitalized

• Be patient but persistent: Our first bit of advice is to remember that hospitals are busy places and things typically don’t happen quickly. You’ll need to be patient and try not to let your anxiety and agitation get the best of you. On the other hand, if your loved one is in pain and it’s not being treated, you have every right to be pleasantly persistent.
• Create a schedule: Having someone in the patient’s hospital room around the clock is often a good idea. This is especially true if the older adult who is hospitalized has some form of dementia. It can help keep them calm and safe. Setting up a schedule will make it easier to ensure there is usually a trusted friend or family member at the bedside. Depending on the person’s condition or disease, families sometimes even hire paid caregivers to cover the hours when friends or family can’t be present.
• Keep a bedside notebook: Another good idea is to keep a notebook and pen on the patient’s bedside table and write down questions and concerns as they pop up. Physicians often round in the early morning hours, before family members are at the hospital. Having the list within reach can make it easier for the patient to ask questions. This is also true if several different friends and family members will be sharing hospital duty. It’s a good way to make sure whoever is staying with the patient knows what to ask if one of the physicians involved in care visits.
• Connect with the patient navigator: Depending on the health care system, a patient navigator, social worker, or discharge planner will be assigned to your loved one. If they don’t contact you within the first day or two, ask for their name and contact information. They usually have connections within the hospital that can be helpful, as well as resources patients need following discharge.
• Monitor the patient’s online account: You might also want to check for updates in the patient’s online account with the health care system. As ironic as it sounds, providers sometimes summarize visits and log test results in detail without discussing them with the patient. It can be worthwhile to check it a few times each day.

Life Protect Makes Help Easy to Access

One final tip is to create a plan for your loved one’s recovery after they are discharged. Make sure it includes transportation to and from appointments, meal plans, and medication management. You might also want to consider an emergency alert system, like the Life Protect 24/7 mobile monitoring unit. With a simple press of a button, the discharged patient can be connected with someone who can help. Call 1-844-203-5617 to learn more!