Natalie’s May Insight

When Hospitalization Changes Everything

Hi Everyone,

I’m thankful you are a part of this community and so grateful our lives have connected. It is truly a joy for me to get to know and spend time with our clients and their families. Thank you for your support!

One of the roles we are especially thankful to be equipped for is supporting our clients through medical crises or events that require hospitalization. While hospitals play an essential role in treatment and recovery, hospitalization can also be one of the most vulnerable and overwhelming experiences for older adults and their families. Sometimes I sa

joke that I could set up a booth outside the hospital, because in moments of crisis so many families simply need someone to help guide them through the process.

When a loved one is hospitalized, families are often trying to balance fear, uncertainty, exhaustion, work responsibilities, and difficult decisions all at once. Many people are hearing complex medical information while also worrying about how their loved one will manage after discharge, whether they are safe returning home, or how quickly life suddenly changed. Even families who are incredibly organized and supportive can feel overwhelmed navigating the medical system during a crisis.

Hospitalizations can be especially difficult for older adults because even a short hospital stay can lead to significant changes in cognition, mobility, strength, and overall functioning. During a hospital stay, many older adults experience confusion, weakness, medication changes, disrupted sleep, poor appetite, or functional decline that can continue even after discharge. Studies show that older adults are at higher risk for delirium, falls, medication-related complications, and readmission after hospitalization. What families often do not realize is that the hospitalization itself can create new challenges that require ongoing support and careful coordination afterward.

Often, the situations that eventually lead to hospitalization begin with smaller shifts that build gradually over time, such as changes in mobility, increasing confusion, missed medications, exhaustion, or reduced support at home. This is one of the reasons advocacy and care coordination are so important during a hospitalization. Medical teams are managing incredibly busy systems and caring for many patients at once, while families are often receiving large amounts of information in a very short period of time. Having someone who understands both the medical system and the practical realities of recovery at home can help families slow down, ask thoughtful questions, and make informed decisions during stressful moments.

One important thing to consider when a loved one is hospitalized is the value of planning ahead before a crisis ever happens. At Care Management by Natalie, we offer crisis planning meetings designed to help families think through these situations proactively, rather than trying to make difficult decisions in the middle of an emergency. Proactive planning often allows families to respond more calmly and effectively when unexpected medical events occur.

During these conversations, we discuss questions such as: What would each spouse need if the other were suddenly hospitalized? What household support would be needed at home? Who would help with meals, transportation, pets, medications, or communication with family members? We also discuss what bedside support may be needed for the hospitalized individual, including advocacy, companionship, coordination, and help communicating with the medical team. Families often tell us they feel relieved after these conversations because they realize they do not have to figure everything out alone in the middle of a crisis.

Another important consideration during a hospitalization is having someone present at the bedside to serve as an advocate and support person. Hospital stays can move quickly, and it can be difficult for patients and families to keep up with changing information, medical decisions, discharge planning, and communication with the care team. Older adults may also become fatigued, confused, or overwhelmed, making it harder for them to fully communicate their needs or concerns.

At Care Management by Natalie, we provide bedside advocacy and support for out-of-town families or for clients who may not have family or friends nearby who are able to serve in that role. Having a trusted professional present can help ensure important questions are asked, concerns are communicated, updates are shared with loved ones, and the client has consistent support throughout the hospitalization process.

It is also important to communicate clearly with the hospital team if more time is needed to create a safe and realistic discharge plan. Discharge decisions can sometimes move quickly, and families may feel pressured to make arrangements before they are fully prepared. However, a successful discharge plan should carefully consider the client’s physical needs, cognitive status, medication management, mobility, home environment, and available support system.

Care Management by Natalie can help families advocate for the time, resources, and coordination needed to ensure a thoughtful discharge plan is in place. This includes helping coordinate appropriate care at home, arranging caregivers or support services, ensuring recommended equipment is ordered and delivered, scheduling follow-up appointments, and helping prepare the home environment for recovery. Having the right support, services, and equipment in place before returning home can make a significant difference in both recovery and safety after hospitalization.

It is also important for families to know that when a client is experiencing repeated hospitalizations or ongoing medical crises, we work closely with the physician team and other providers to better understand the underlying issues contributing to those hospital visits. Our goal is not only to respond to the immediate crisis, but also to help create a plan that may reduce future hospitalizations and improve quality of life.

Care Management by Natalie works to help bring clarity to the medical concerns causing repeated problems, coordinate additional structure or support in the home when needed, and explore tools that may help manage symptoms earlier. This may include arranging increased caregiving support, discussing as-needed medication options with physicians when appropriate, utilizing resources such as community paramedics, improving communication between providers and family members, and monitoring for patterns that may indicate additional intervention is needed.

We also continue ongoing conversations about goals of care so that medical decisions and care plans remain aligned with each client’s wishes, values, and overall quality of life goals. These conversations can be emotional, but they are also incredibly meaningful because they help families make decisions that reflect what matters most to their loved one.

At the heart of all of this is the belief that families should not have to navigate these moments alone. We are thankful to walk alongside our clients and families during some of the hardest and most vulnerable seasons of life — not only to provide support during a crisis, but also to help create clarity, continuity, advocacy, and peace of mind throughout the hospitalization and recovery process.

— Natalie Adewunmi, RN, BSN, CCM

Founder, Care Management by Natalie