The goal for hospitalization is to get out and go back home. However, sometimes home is not the best and safest option. The staff at the hospital cannot allow an individual to go home if it is not safe for them to be there alone. In that case, the discharge planning process is critical. The discharge planning process begins on admission to the hospital and finishes with the wheel chair ride out of the building.
A social worker or nurse will be designated as the discharge planning resource. These professionals have a multitude of resources for the senior or family to access. Based on Federal laws, they cannot unilaterally chose providers for needed services. They can provide a list of optional providers and give feedback on experience, but it is illegal to choose the vendor or services for the patient.
This can be problematic for the patient and their family. They don't know the industry, the providers or how to assess the quality of the provider. The government and private technology companies have created a numerical based indicator system. Unfortunately, these systems are based on regulations and do not give the patient and family information that is actionable or that makes sense in the real world.
Contacting a geriatric care manager or a company like Charism Eldercare Services can help you through this maze. A phone call of a few minutes with the administrator of the vendor organization, will tell you the real story about these vendors. This expert professional will be able to clear the muddy water. The outcome is to decrease your anxiety, enhance the safety of the senior and thus allows timely decision making that is not under duress.