How To Know If Your Loved One Needs Post-Traumatic Care

As your loved ones age, you may need to address their health matters. Seniors are more likely to suffer injuries, such as falls, so you may find yourself making decisions about post-traumatic injury care. Since coping with injuries is already stressful, determining the best way to support your loved one through their injury recovery can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, there are excellent post-traumatic injury care options for seniors that can provide the expert care your loved one needs.

Learn more about Monument Health Group’s post-traumatic injury care

What Is Post-Traumatic Care?

Post-traumatic injury care is rehabilitation care for seniors recovering from injuries. Post-traumatic injury care facilities for elderly adults combine the assisted living care offered by nursing homes with the services provided by skilled nursing facilities, ensuring residents get personal support and medical care throughout their recovery. 

What Are The Signs That A Loved One May Need Professional Post-Traumatic Care?

If your loved one is recovering from an injury, you may wonder how to recognize the need for post-traumatic care. These are some signs you can look for that indicate your loved one needs nursing home care after their injury:

• Altered mental state: Altered mental states can cause confusion and behavioral changes.
• Depression: Health issues and aging increase the risk of depression, which can jeopardize your loved one’s quality of life and well-being. 
• Frequent falls: Falls are the most common accidental injury and are responsible for more deaths from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among seniors than any other cause.
• Memory loss: Memory loss could be a sign of a TBI or another severe health issue. It can also cause confusion, anxiety, depression, and other serious issues jeopardizing your loved one’s well-being.
• Weight loss: Weight loss can indicate that your loved one is forgetting to eat or that they’re experiencing digestive issues.

Your loved one may also need post-traumatic injury care if they’re suffering repeat injuries requiring medical care, their in-home caregivers are finding it more challenging to provide appropriate care, or they have a chronic condition that requires more medical care. 

How Can Nursing Homes Assist In Post-Traumatic Injury Recovery? 

Skilled nursing homes help with post-traumatic injury care by providing elderly persons with all the expert care they need in one location. When a person moves to a skilled nursing facility, they have direct access to a doctor, licensed nurses, and rehabilitation professionals. The nursing facility staff ensure they receive the following:

• 24-hour care
• Assistance with medications
• Assistance with personal care
• Rehabilitative therapy

When your loved one moves to the best skilled nursing facility in your area, you can be confident they’ll receive appropriate wound care if required and that medical professionals will monitor their recovery and health, ensuring they receive the medication, medical care, rehabilitative therapy, and personal support needed to promote their recovery. 

What Types Of Injuries Commonly Require Post-Traumatic Care?

Any traumatic injury may require post-injury care. Common traumatic injuries include the following:

• Amputations
• Broken bones
• Burns
• Collapsed lungs
• Concussions
• Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
• TBIs

Many seniors require post-traumatic injury care after falls if they fracture a hip or suffer a TBI. Seniors may also need support after suffering burns, sprains, or an SCI.

When Should You Transition From At-Home Care To Professional Nursing Care?

You should consider transferring your loved one to nursing home services for post-traumatic recovery if their medical and personal care needs increase significantly. Signs their needs exceed what in-home caregivers can provide include increased caregiver burnout. If you’re primarily responsible for their daily care and find it more challenging and you’re feeling burnt out, it’s a clear sign it’s time for your loved one to move to a skilled nursing facility. 

You should also consider transitioning to a post-traumatic care facility in Salt Lake City if your loved one needs to travel for multiple medical appointments throughout the week. 

What Are The Benefits Of Choosing A Nursing Home For Post-Traumatic Recovery? 

You and your loved one will enjoy many benefits when you move them to the best post-traumatic care option for seniors in your area. Benefits include the following:

• Access to medical professionals: Traveling to appointments can be draining, and these appointments can interfere with your loved one’s ability to rest. Moving to a skilled nursing facility ensures your loved one has daily access to a doctor. They can receive occupational, speech, and physical therapy at the facility, eliminating the need to travel to multiple appointments every week. 
• Health monitoring: Since skilled nursing professionals will monitor and care for your loved one, you will receive the latest updates about any changes to their health. You can be confident they’re receiving appropriate daily care for their needs.
• Recreation: Skilled nursing facility residents can participate in onsite recreational activities.
• Social engagement: Facility residents enjoy opportunities to interact with others their age, which helps to prevent social isolation and depression. 

How Do You Select The Right Nursing Home For Post-Traumatic Care? 

Choose a skilled nursing facility in Utah that meets your and your loved one’s needs. Things to consider include the following:

• Services: Look for a skilled nursing facility that offers all the rehabilitative services your loved one needs. 
• Reputation: Choose a facility with an excellent reputation for exceptional care. 
• Qualifications: Choose a facility with highly qualified staff with experience in their field. 
• Location: If you live in Salt Lake City, you’ll want to prioritize finding a post-traumatic care facility there so you can visit your loved one regularly. 
• Atmosphere: The skilled nursing facility will be your loved one’s new home for an extended period of time, so it needs to be a place where they feel comfortable. A welcoming atmosphere can help them with their transition. 

What Services Should A Nursing Home Offer For Post-Traumatic Injury Recovery? 

Services skilled nursing homes should offer post-traumatic injury residents include the following:

• 24-hour monitoring by medical staff
• Daily living assistance
• Doctor appointments
• Medication administration
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Recreational activities
• Social opportunities
• Speech therapy
• Wound care

How Can Family Members Support A Loved One During Post-Traumatic Recovery?

You can support your loved one during their recovery by ensuring they receive the care they need. If they’re moving to a skilled nursing facility, involve them in the transition process and ensure they have photos and cherished items with them to help them feel at home. You can also support your loved one by visiting regularly and engaging in onsite activities to help them meet people and discover what the facility offers.

Monument Health Group: Meeting Your Post-Traumatic Injury Care Needs

Monument Health Group provides post-traumatic injury care, post-hospital care, and short-term rehabilitation for older adults dealing with increased medical needs due to injury or illness. Our medical team provides expert onsite care, ensuring residents receive expert medical and rehabilitative care. 

Contact Monument Health Group to learn how we can provide your loved one with the care they need

Sources:

Avoiding Injuries as You Age. (2024). 

Common Injuries as We Age. (2024). 

Depression and Aging. (2024).