No one wants to be in the hospital for any longer than they have to, especially when you’ve already had an extended stay around an operation. However, studies show that readmission rates after 30 days were 15% in 2024, rising to 47% within a year after the initial surgery. Sometimes, readmissions are unavoidable, but most cases can be prevented with correct aftercare and recovery techniques.
Today, we’ll explore how to prevent hospital readmission so you can recover as quickly as possible at home.
Common Reasons Why Readmissions Occur
Knowing the most common causes of hospital readmissions post-surgery can help you avoid them by knowing what not to do. Below, we’ve detailed the most common reasons for hospital readmissions and how you can prevent them.
Not Following Doctor’s Orders
While it might be tempting to believe you know best after surgery, your healthcare team will have given you a list of instructions to follow in your best interest. These instructions might include wound care, gentle exercises to aid recovery and diet restrictions.
Patients who fail to adhere to these orders might increase their risk of complications post-op, leading to readmission. To prevent this, make sure you have a good care plan in place before being discharged. This should include detailed instructions on how to care for yourself throughout recovery to avoid complications.
Subsequent Injuries from Falls
Fall risk is higher for post-surgery patients, especially those over the age of 65 and experiencing frailty or chronic conditions that affect balance and mobility. After an operation, you might feel unsteady, lightheaded and in pain. These negative side effects can increase your risk of falling, causing injury to your surgical site or other parts of the body.
A post-op fall risk assessment ensures the safety of your home during recovery. A live-in carer can help you move around and employ strategies to reduce your fall risk at home. These include:
- Wearing non-slip footwear
- Installing assistive devices, like grab bars in the bathroom
- Using a bed or chair alarm
- Supervising while moving from room to room
- Ensuring sufficient lighting is used throughout your home
A live-in carer can also help with daily living activities, such as cooking and cleaning, to prevent putting yourself under too much strain. Enlisting short-term support allows your body to focus all its energy on recovering rather than pushing itself.
Post-Surgical Complications
Despite your best efforts to recover well, post-surgical complications can occur. The most common include wound infections, sepsis, pneumonia and urinary tract infections. All of these require professional care and a trip back to the hospital.
These are especially concerning for older patients at risk of frailty, as these complications can increase the risk of advanced symptoms.
Preventing complications starts with listening to your body and maintaining proper care during the first days and weeks of recovery. Keep your wound dry and clean, and always follow up with your doctor as required.
If you’re at higher risk for pneumonia, your doctor might recommend practising deep breathing exercises every day. Ask your doctor if you’re at higher risk for complications and how you can avoid them at home.
Medication Troubles
Medical errors are another common reason why people are readmitted to hospital following an operation. Errors with prescribed medication include not taking them properly as your doctor has recommended, adverse reactions or interactions between different medications.
Medication errors can be scary and worrying for everyone involved, so it’s important to keep track of all medications you’re taking to give to your healthcare team. If you’re worried, ask your doctor for a medication review to ensure everything is safe to take post-operation. Also, write down dosage instructions for all medications and set timers on your phone to remind you of when to take them.
Tips for Reducing Your Risk of Hospital Readmission
Once you’ve left the hospital post-surgery, you’ll need to be vigilant for warning signs and symptoms. As a patient, there are certain things you can do to be as proactive as possible and prevent the likelihood of having to head back to the hospital once home. These include:
- Take notes before being discharged: Write as many detailed notes as you can about care, warning symptoms, recovery times and emergency numbers.
- Arrange follow-up appointments: Know who you need to see post-discharge and make appointments with relevant specialists, doctors and nurses.
- Practice active self-care: Stick to a routine that supports your recovery without over-exerting your body, including gentle rehabilitation exercises and eating well.
- Follow instructions about care and medication: Always adhere to your doctor’s orders regarding wound care, rehabilitation, and medication.
- Look out for signs of trouble: Symptom tracking and monitoring are good ways to ensure that there are no signs that need to be checked with a healthcare professional.
Warning Signs to Look Out For Post-Surgery
Knowing what symptoms to look for after returning home from an operation lets you assess your recovery and ensure that you get emergent care as soon as necessary. Getting these checked out by your GP may help you avoid readmission to hospital. These are some of the most common signs to keep an eye out for:
- Wound drainage
- Nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting
- Rapid heart rate or a tight chest
- Increased swelling or redness around the incision site
- Feeling lightheaded or fainting
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath that won’t go away
- Severe headaches
- Pain that won’t go away with medication
- Chills
- A temperature of higher than 30°C (100.4°F)
- Pronounced swelling in your legs, ankles or feet
- Blood in your urine or stool
Encouraging a Smooth Recovery at Home
Minimising stress and pain during your recovery period is a good way of making sure you can remain at home without any extra trips to the hospital. Most patients find recovery much easier at home, in familiar surroundings, than in a clinical setting. To avoid readmission, here are some tips for a smooth at-home recovery:
- Prioritise rest: Rest allows your body to heal quickly and utilise its energy for recovery rather than household tasks, like housework.
- Stay hydrated and eat well: Good nutrition and sufficient hydration support the body in healing itself and keep your energy levels up.
- Prepare your home beforehand: Set up a sleeping area on the ground floor of your home so you don’t have to tackle stairs too soon after your operation.
- Keep moving: While it may be tempting to limit movement as you recover, staying (gently!) active can boost blood circulation and speed up recovery.
- Manage pain: Stay on top of your pain medication to ensure you can complete your rehabilitation exercises without your body going into shock.
- Avoid smoking: Smoking can slow the healing process and increase your risk of complications.
- Ask for help: Knowing where and when to ask for help can significantly improve your recovery and ensure that you don’t have to push yourself to do things alone.
How Country Cousins Can Help
A good way of preventing readmission post-operation is by accepting help. If you don’t have a support system around you, or your loved ones lead busy lives without much time to assist your recovery, a Country Cousins live-in carer can help. We match you with one of our fully qualified, compassionate carers to ensure the smoothest and quickest recovery possible.
Our postoperative care service includes:
- Daily monitoring of symptoms
- Help around the house, including cooking and light housekeeping
- Pet care, including feeding and walks
- Assistance with daily activities, like bathing and dressing
- Mobility support to reduce your fall risk
- Companionship and emotional support
Our carers aim to support your recovery while fostering independence and maintaining dignity. We’ll ensure you get back to your daily routine quickly without pushing yourself too hard towards readmission.
Talk to Our Team Today
As the UK’s longest-serving introductory live-in care agency, we have been providing compassionate live-in care to those who need it since 1959—all from the comfort of their own homes.
Give us a call today on 01293 224 706. Our experienced team is on hand to help from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. Alternatively, contact us through our online enquiry form.
