Returning home after a hospital stay: a Bluestem Communities guide to transition support
When you live in a Bluestem Communities independent living neighborhood, you are just that – independent. However, you still receive an array of benefits such as home upkeep, lawncare, snow removal and on-campus amenities. One of the more unique benefits available to you is transition support.
This service supports you as you settle back into your home following a hospital or rehabilitation stay. It is also available to outside community members who leave a Bluestem Communities short-term rehab program, such as Progressive Recovery Academy at Schowalter Villa. Transition support is designed to assist you in better meeting your recovery goals and position you with skills for long-term success in self-managing your health conditions.
WHAT IS TRANSITION SUPPORT?
Transition support focuses on:
- Understanding best practices in medication selfmanagement.
- Recognizing and responding to red flags to keep you recovery on track.
- Enhancing communication with your doctor and the doctor’s staff.
- Meeting your personal goals.
- Working alongside home health and therapies.
In the first few days after you go home from a hospital or rehabilitation stay, the transition support nurse will visit you in your home and follow up with several phone calls to help monitor your recovery progress.
WHO PROVIDES TRANSITION SUPPORT?
Yvonne Fast, MSN, APRN-CNS, is Bluestem Communities’ Transition Support Nurse. She also serves as a Senior. Living Advisor. Yvonne has more than 40 years of nursing experience, with specialization in care of older adults.
WHEN SHOULD I REACH OUT TO RECEIVE TRANSITION SUPPORT?
A variety of situations might benefit from transition support. Some include:
- Before a scheduled hospital stay.
- Following any hospital stay – planned or unplanned.
- Following a return home from a rehab stay.
If you are unsure whether your situation would benefit from transition support, contact Yvonne at 620-327-3787 to discuss it and your options.