he Council on Aging Ottawa-Carleton has responded to changes in hospitalization and discharge procedures by publishing a guide for seniors called In and Out of Hospital: A Senior's Guide for Hospital and Return Home.
The guide is written to help seniors cope with admission and discharge from hospital and home care afterward. According to the Council on Aging's Fact Book on Aging 1999, seniors (65 and older) are three times more likely to be hospitalized than the overall population. For those 75 and older, the rate is almost four times. Seniors make up nearly two-thirds of home care clients in Ottawa-Carleton.
A guide to hospital admission and discharge was demanded by seniors and professionals at a Council on Aging Discharge Planning Conference in 1998.
Guide writer Dianne McConkey consulted seniors, hospital staff and community health professionals to make In and Out of Hospital comprehensive and easy to read. Doris Pringle, a senior who was recently hospitalized said, "I saw so many people whose expectations were too high. They'd have been realistically prepared if they or their families had the guide. Since I was part of the working group for the guide, I had a rough copy with me and saw the value of it!"
In and Out of Hospital is designed for seniors to consult even before a medical emergency. The section "Before You Go to the Hospital" includes questions to ask and information to share with the doctor, what to do about legal affairs and medications, preparations to make at home, what family and friends can do, and what to bring to the hospital. Important other sections are "Rights and Responsibilities" (for in the hospital) and "Community Resources to Help You at Home."
The publication of the Council on Aging's In and Out of Hospital Guide was made possible by support from the Regional Geriatric Assessment Program, Central Park Lodge, the Community Care Access Centre, the Montfort Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital. More than 100,000 copies of the guide have been printed. Available both in English and in French, it will be distributed free by hospital admitting staff, home care providers, seniors service providers, and the Council on Aging.
The Council on Aging - Ottawa-Carleton is a bilingual, non-profit, voluntary organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all seniors in Ottawa-Carleton. A United Way agency, the Council works with and for seniors in the community to voice issues and concerns to all levels of government and to the public.