Where you live prior to a hospital admission can make a difference in the result of your treatment and your return home. According to the “Hazards of Hospitalization”, research indicates that individuals admitted to the hospital from an assisted living facility were more than 16 times as likely to fall and 5 times more likely to experience functional decline that their community dwelling counterparts. The implications of this decline can be seen immediately as 75% of assisted living residents were discharged directly to nursing homes rather than back to their previous residence. (Source: The Gerontologist, Vol. 48, No. 4, P 537-541, website www.geron.org/journals/gerontologist.html). This research bears two important questions: 1) Do assisted living facilities have a responsibility to ensure residents receive appropriate, regular and ongoing medical care in order to avoid or prevent hospitalizations and 2) What responsibility remains on the part of the individual and the family to ensure that regular and appropriate medical care continues. Many believe once a move is made to a retirement-type community that the community bears the greater responsibility for individual care. Children are now relieved that their parents care is complete — NOT true. Many communities provide meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication reminding and other services. The responsibility remains with the individual and the family to ensure proper, regular and ongoing medical care. Want to make sure that you or your parents don’t end up in a nursing home? Don’t leave the responsibility of your medical care to someone else.
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