Returning Home: The Next 30 Days

As your senior loved one starts feeling better, returning to a more normal routine will likely be a welcome outcome. Experts generally agree that first 30 days are a critical time for hospital readmissions. Even with good progress, though, a senior who has been in a hospital or facility for some time could be having difficulty returning to “functional status.”

This status refers to the ability of a senior to perform tasks that are typical of a daily routine. These tasks are usually referred to as “activities of daily living” or ADLs. The self-care tasks (eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring (walking) and continence) are especially important, because these are the basic ADLs considered essential for independent living.

Health-care providers usually ask whether the person requires help from someone else to complete these basic tasks. They will also ask about the person’s ability to manage household affairs, such as using the telephone, stove or washer. These are called instrumental activities of daily living (IADLS.)

Even seniors who are healthy sometimes need help with these activities. And, often, those who have been in a hospital or facility need extra help to be able to take care of the typical tasks that healthy individual can take for granted.