How Patient-Centered Transportation Makes an Important Part of Discharge Planning: The Right Planning and Case Study

Patient-centered transportation is becoming increasingly important in Hawaii due to the large population of elderly patients. They are important for doctor visits and have become an important part of patient discharge planning.

Discharge planning is more important than you imagine. When dealing with a patient, you should not leave anything to the last moment. To ensure your patient has everything from the moment they step out of the hospital, you must make a hospital discharge planning checklist. Discharge planning entails several things depending on the condition of your patient and the card they will need.

Many people do not know the right meaning of discharge planning. This article will explore discharge planning and its fundamentals with the help of a case study.

What is Discharge Planning?

Discharge planning is the procedure of making a personalized plan that includes transportation, residential care, and everything the patient may need after they reach home.

While it's easy to get hold of emergency transportation when admitting a patient to the hospital, getting them a safe ride back home is equally difficult. Discharge planning must include a plan of action about how to get the patient back home without making the journey hectic or stressful.

Arranging for a ride becomes even more difficult if your patient is disabled, feeble, or has serious injuries. In that case, a private or hired car is not the best option. A NEMT door-to-door service, on the other hand, is equipped to handle situations like this.

NEMT services have vans designed to perform as a disabled patient transport but also suit feeble patients. They make their way into most discharge planning lists due to their safety features and convenience.

Besides transportation, one must also remember what the patient might need once he reaches home. Gauge your patient's condition and make a list of what things they might need at home.

Here are some things you should consider when discharge planning:

• Buying Wheelchairs.
• Appointing Caregivers or nurses.
• Making the home accessible to the patient.
• Stocking groceries and other supplies.
• Appointing services like cleaners, plumbers, etc., for routine visits.
• Arranging for doctor appointments or any follow-up medical procedure.

Why Is Patient-Centered Transportation Important for Discharge Planning?

Discharge from the hospital does not mean a complete recovery, and thus one must never use conventional modes of transport unless fit.

Including a patient-centered transport in your discharge planning list is a foolproof way of ensuring the patient reaches home without any incidents that might cause pain, discomfort, or major mishaps.

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There are several NEMT services available in Hawaii. You can look for 'Comfort Care transportation near me' on your browser to get the best services for your dear ones. These transportation are not just meant for discharge planning but can also be used for other medical non-emergency situations.

Case Study- Discharge Planning of A Patient with Diabetes

A man over 70 years old gets admitted to the emergency room with type 2 diabetes experiencing a 100.5 F fever, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and cough. After certain examinations, a non-tender lymph node is found, according to the reports. After admission, the patient undergoes treatment in the intensive care unit. When situations worsen, he is put on a ventilator.

After a span of 3 days in the intensive care unit, he is transferred to a general bed, where he stays for 14 days before getting discharged.

What His Discharge Planning List Includes

Discharge planning for a patient who had been in the intensive care unit and on ventilation requires looking into minute details. He must be under frequent medical care and be given the medicines on time. A very carefully planned diet should also be included in the discharge planning process.

A NEMT van was escorted home since it would have been unsafe to use some other mode of transportation.  

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Such patients require a team of experts like doctors, nurses, dietitians, diabetes educators, and social workers to work together for the best recovery.

Discharge planning is indispensable for patients who are old and seriously ill. Patient-centered transport systems like NEMT are an important part of it and, thus, should never be taken lightly. To ensure your loved ones get the best even outside the hospital, sketch out your discharge planning checklist meticulously.