Sound familiar?

Here’s what nobody tells families: the most dangerous part of a hospital stay isn’t the surgery or the illness that brought your loved one there. It’s what happens in the first 72 hours after they leave.

Why the First 72 Hours Matter

Research shows that readmission rates peak in the first few days after discharge—not weeks later. For patients with conditions like COPD, the highest readmission rates occur within that initial 72-hour window.

The numbers are sobering. About one in five patients experiences some kind of adverse event after leaving the hospital. The most common culprit? Medication issues. And roughly two-thirds of those problems were either preventable or could have been caught earlier.

Think about what’s happening during those first days home: new medications to manage, activity restrictions to remember, warning signs to watch for, and follow-up appointments to schedule. Your loved one is exhausted. You’re overwhelmed. And the hospital staff who knew everything about their care? They’ve moved on to the next patient.

What Goes Wrong

Most readmissions aren’t random bad luck. They follow predictable patterns:

Medication confusion. The discharge instructions say one thing, the pill bottles say another, and nobody explained which old medications to stop taking. As a pharmacist, I’ve seen this happen more times than I can count.

Falls and injuries. Patients overestimate what they can do. They try to get to the bathroom alone at 2 AM, or they skip using the walker because it feels like giving up.

Missed warning signs. That shortness of breath seemed minor. The swelling in her ankles wasn’t that bad. By the time someone calls 911, they’re back where they started.

Dehydration and poor nutrition. Cooking is exhausting when you’re recovering. So is getting up to get a glass of water. Small things add up fast.

What Actually Helps

The difference between a successful recovery and a trip back to the ER often comes down to one thing: having the right support in place before discharge, not after something goes wrong.

That means someone who can be there to help with mobility, remind about medications, prepare meals, and—most importantly—watch for changes that need attention. Not medical care, necessarily. Just an extra set of hands and eyes during the riskiest window.

At Options Home Care, we offer a Hospital-to-Home program specifically designed for this 72-hour period. Our caregivers provide one-on-one support that covers medication reminders, mobility assistance, meal preparation, and monitoring for any changes in condition. It’s intensive support at a discounted rate because we know these first few days are when it matters most.

If Your Loved One Is Being Discharged Soon

Don’t wait until you’re in the parking lot to figure out the plan. Ask the discharge planner about home care options. Get the medication list reviewed by a pharmacist—not just handed to you. And be honest about how much support will actually be available at home.

If you’re not sure what level of care makes sense, we can help you figure it out. We work with families, discharge planners, and healthcare providers every day to make sure the transition home is safe.

Call us at (336) 213-1467or visit our Discharge Planning page to learn more about our Hospital to Home program.

The first 72 hours shouldn’t be the hardest part of recovery. Let’s make sure they’re not.

If you’re a veteran who needs help at home or caring for one, there’s a VA benefit that can provide in-home care for eligible veterans. It’s called the Homemaker/Home Health Aide program, and it’s one of the most practical VA benefits available.

Options Home Care is a contracted provider for this program. Here’s what you need to know.

What is the Homemaker/Home Health Aide Program?

The VA’s Homemaker/Home Health Aide (H/HHA) program sends trained caregivers into veterans’ homes to help with daily activities. This includes personal care like bathing, dressing, and grooming. It includes help with meals, light housekeeping, and medication reminders. It’s the kind of support that helps veterans stay in their own homes instead of moving to a facility.

The care is provided by agencies like ours that contract with the VA. For many veterans, especially those with service-connected disabilities, there’s no copay. Others may have a copay based on their VA disability status, but it’s often far less than paying out of pocket.

Who Qualifies?

The H/HHA program is available to veterans enrolled in VA healthcare who need help with activities of daily living. You don’t need to have a service-connected disability to qualify, though that can affect whether you have a copay.

The program is also available for veterans who are isolated, or when a family caregiver is experiencing burden—something the VA specifically recognizes as a reason for services.

Eligibility is determined by your VA healthcare team. If you’re already receiving care through the VA, ask your primary care provider or social worker about a referral. If you’re not enrolled in VA healthcare, that’s the first step.

What Kind of Help Do You Get?

Our caregivers provide hands-on assistance with the things that become harder as health changes:

Personal care — bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, mobility assistance

Household support — light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation

Health-related tasks — medication reminders, monitoring for health changes

Companionship — conversation, engagement, reducing isolation

The specific services depend on what the veteran needs and what the VA authorizes. A VA social worker assesses your daily living needs, and a registered nurse supervises the care plan. Services can be several times a week or less frequent, depending on your situation—and you can continue receiving care as long as you need the support.

Why This Matters

Many veterans resist asking for help. They’re used to being self-sufficient. But needing assistance with daily activities isn’t weakness—it’s a reality of aging or managing chronic health conditions.

The H/HHA program exists because the VA recognizes that keeping veterans at home, with proper support, leads to better outcomes than institutional care. It’s a benefit veterans have earned.

The Medication Piece

As a pharmacist-owned agency, we pay attention to something most home care providers overlook: medications.

Veterans often receive prescriptions from both VA and non-VA providers. Those medication lists don’t always get compared. The result can be duplications, interactions, or side effects that get blamed on “just getting older” when they’re actually medication-related.

Confusion, dizziness, falls, fatigue—these are common in older veterans, and they’re also common medication side effects. When our caregivers are in the home, we’re watching for these patterns. It’s part of how we approach care.

How to Get Started

If you’re a veteran who needs help at home:

1. Make sure you’re enrolled in VA healthcare (if not, start at va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000)
2. Talk to your VA primary care provider or social worker about home care needs
3. Ask specifically about the Homemaker/Home Health Aide program
4. Request Options Home Care as your provider (we serve Greensboro, Burlington, and surrounding areas)

If you’re a family member trying to arrange care, the process is the same—it starts with the veteran’s VA healthcare team.

Have questions about whether this program might work for your situation? Call us. We can explain how it works and what to expect.

Thanksgiving 2023, I walked into a home I thought I knew well.

It had been a year since I’d been home. The person who raised me had always kept an immaculate house. But this time, something was different. The floors hadn’t been swept in weeks. Mail was piling up on the counter. Beds weren’t made. The trash in the back rooms hadn’t been taken out. I opened the pantry and saw ants crawling over expired food that should have been thrown away months ago.

Knowing what to look for doesn’t make it easier. It didn’t prepare me for the feeling of when I realized someone I love was declining, and I hadn’t seen it coming.

If you’re heading home to visit aging parents this holiday season, you might experience this same moment. Video calls hide so much. But when you walk through that door, you’ll see the truth.

Here’s what to look for—and what to do about it.

Why In-Person Visits Reveal So Much

When you talk to Mom or Dad on the phone, they sound fine. On FaceTime, they look good. They tell you everything’s great, and you believe them because you want to.

But phone calls have a limited frame. Your parent controls what you see. The camera shows their face, not the kitchen counter. You hear their voice, but you don’t smell the house or notice how much weight they’ve lost.

And here’s the hard truth: many seniors work very hard to hide decline from their adult children. They don’t want to worry you. They don’t want to admit they’re struggling. They definitely don’t want to lose their independence.

That’s why holiday visits are so valuable. You’re there long enough to notice patterns. You see beyond the surface. And you can trust your gut when something feels off.
5 Key Areas to Assess During Your Holiday Visit

When you’re home for the holidays, pay attention to these five areas. Take mental notes, or if you’re visiting with siblings, compare observations together.

5 Key Areas to Assess During Your Holiday Visit

When you’re home for the holidays, pay attention to these five areas. Take mental notes, or if you’re visiting with siblings, compare observations together.

1. The Home Environment

Walk through the entire house, not just the living room. Check the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and those back rooms that don’t get much traffic.

Is the house clean, or is clutter building up? Are dishes piling in the sink? Look in the refrigerator for expired food. Check the pantry for pests or old groceries. Notice lightbulbs burned out and not replaced. The yard overgrown. Bills and mail stacking up unopened.

Your parents’ ability to maintain their home is often the first thing to slip. It’s not laziness. It’s executive function decline, physical limitations, or simply feeling overwhelmed.

2. Food and Nutrition

Open the refrigerator and pantry. What’s actually in there? Fresh groceries, or mostly condiments and expired items? Is your parent eating real meals, or surviving on crackers and canned soup?

Watch them during meals. Are they eating less? Have they lost weight? Ask what they’ve been eating lately. If the answer is vague (“Oh, I eat fine”), that’s often a sign they’re not eating much at all.

Poor nutrition accelerates decline. Sometimes it’s physical. They can’t stand long enough to cook, or arthritis makes opening jars impossible. Sometimes it’s cognitive. They forget to eat, or cooking has become too complex.

3. Personal Hygiene and Appearance

This one’s uncomfortable, but it’s important. Is your parent showering regularly? Are their clothes clean? Look at their hair. Is it washed and combed, or greasy and unkempt? Are they wearing the same outfit multiple days in a row?

For parents who always took pride in their appearance, have they stopped?

Personal hygiene decline is a critical indicator. Showering requires physical ability, cognitive function, and motivation. When seniors stop maintaining hygiene, it’s often because one or more of these has declined. It can also signal depression.

4. Medications

As a pharmacist, this is where I always look first. Ask to see your parents’ medications. All of them, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements.

Are bottles organized, or scattered around the house? Are there duplicate medications? Expired prescriptions still being taken? Are pill bottles full when they should be running low, or empty when they should have refills left

Look at the dates. Are they picking up refills on time? Ask them to explain what each medication is for. Can they tell you?

Medication mismanagement is dangerous and incredibly common. Older adults taking multiple medications can easily get confused about dosing, miss doses, or accidentally double up. Even one medication error can lead to hospitalization.

5. Social Connection and Mental Sharpness

How are your parents engaging with you during your visit? Are they following conversations, or do they seem confused or forgetful? Are they repeating the same stories or questions?

Ask about their social life. Are they still seeing friends, attending activities they used to enjoy? Or have they become isolated? Is the TV on all day?

Notice their mood. Are they their usual self, or do they seem more anxious, irritable, or sad?

Social isolation and cognitive decline often go hand-in-hand. Seniors who stop engaging with others deteriorate faster. And cognitive changes can be early signs of dementia, medication side effects, or treatable conditions like depression or thyroid problems.

How to Have “The Conversation”

So, you’ve noticed the signs. Now what?

Don’t ambush them. Sitting your parent down for a formal “we need to talk” conversation often backfires. It puts them on the defensive immediately.

Start with concern, not criticism. Instead of “Mom, this house is a mess” try “Mom, I noticed you seem more tired than usual. Is everything okay?”

Ask questions. Listen to the answers. Your parent knows something has changed. They might be scared to admit it. Give them space to tell you what’s really going on.

Focus on one thing at a time. Don’t try to solve everything in one conversation. Pick the most urgent issue (usually safety or medications) and start there.

Offer specific help, not vague promises. “What if we hired someone to come clean the house twice a month?” is concrete. “Let me set up your medications in a pill organizer each week” is actionable.

Include them in the solution. This is about supporting their independence, not taking it away. Ask what kind of help they’d be comfortable with.

Local Greensboro Resources

If you’re concerned about your parent after your holiday visit, you don’t have to figure this out alone.

Greensboro Council on Aging offers programs, activities, and referrals for seniors and their families.

Cone Health Senior Services provides geriatric assessments and can help coordinate care for older adults with complex medical needs.

Area Agency on Aging serves Guilford County and can assess your parent’s eligibility for programs like Meals on Wheels, transportation assistance, and in-home support services.

Home care agencies can provide everything from a few hours of companionship per week to full-time care. The key is finding an agency that takes time to understand your parent’s specific needs.

Don’t wait until there’s a crisis. These resources exist to help families navigate exactly what you’re going through.

You’re Not Alone in This

That Thanksgiving visit changed how I see my work. I’ve always cared about helping families, but now I understand what it feels like to walk into a home and realize someone you love needs help.

The hardest part isn’t noticing the changes. It’s accepting that things are different now. That the person who raised you now needs you to step in.

Most seniors want to stay in their homes. With the right support, most can.

At Options, we help families in the Triad navigate this transition. As a pharmacist, I personally review medication safety for every client we serve. It’s something that sets us apart from other home care agencies. Our caregivers are trained to spot changes, and our admin team will communicate with families and healthcare providers.

If you’re concerned about your parent after your holiday visit, we offer free consultations to assess their needs and discuss what support might look like. No pressure, no obligation. Just honest guidance from someone who’s been where you are.

Call us at (336) 213-1467 or visit www.optionscorp.com/merrillville-indiana/greensboro-nc to schedule a consultation.

There are dozens of licensed home-care agencies serving Guilford and Alamance and surround areas. So what truly sets one apart—slogans, gadgets, company size? For us, it’s expertise.

Options Home Care Greensboro & Burlington is owned and operated by a licensed pharmacist with years in geriatric care. Our onboarding starts where many agencies end: with medications. We don’t just list them; we make sure they’re understood. Why is each medication on the list? What’s the safest way to take it? Are there duplicates or interactions? We simplify the daily routine and teach families so the plan is doable day to day.

Our registered nurses then use that information to build an individualized plan of care that is clear enough for caregivers to follow and grounded in why each step matters. That alignment keeps everyone on the same page and reduces real-world errors at home.

This October: Medication Safety Spotlights

In recognition of American Pharmacists Month, we’re sharing four short, plain-language posts on our social media to help families keep medication routines safe at home:

• Oct 6 — “PM” Sleep Aids (antihistamines)
• Oct 13 — “Water Pills” (diuretics)
• Oct 20 — Blood Thinners
• Oct 28 — Hidden Acetaminophen in Cold/Flu Combos

Follow along on LinkedIn/Facebook, and check back here at month’s end for our October Recap.

Why this matters

Many families do everything right—see the doctor, refill on time, use a pillbox—yet mix-ups still happen. Hospital stays add new prescriptions, bottles look alike, labels confuse, and vitamins or “as-needed” meds stack up until you’ve got duplicates or the wrong dose.

A pharmacist working with your home-care team changes that. We look at the real routine, confirm what’s actually being taken, simplify timing, flag risks, and educate you while coordinating any changes with the prescriber. The result is a plan that’s easier to follow with fewer surprises like side effects, falls, or avoidable ER visits.

What to watch for

• New dizziness, grogginess, or more frequent falls after a med change
• Confusion or “not themselves,” especially in the evening
• Duplicate bottles, missed refills, or using old bottles
• Big swings in blood pressure, blood sugar, or heart rate
• Stomach upset or loss of appetite soon after a new med

What helps

• Quarterly “brown-bag” + after any ER/hospital visit — put every med/vitamin on the table; keep one current list.
• Use one pharmacy with refill sync — timing stays consistent; problems surface sooner.
• Simplify the routine — once-daily where possible, pillbox/blister packs, visible schedule.
• Track simple vitals/symptoms — BP, weight, blood sugar, pain logs support safe adjustments.

How home care fits

Non-medical caregivers don’t administer or change medications but they make the plan work: on-time reminders and cueing, noting and reporting missed doses or side effects, supporting pillbox use per the family/clinician plan, rides to pharmacy/doctor, meal prep/hydration, safe storage/organization, and steady daily rhythms that reduce mistakes.

Links to our services

• Personal Care
• Care Packages / IL PLUS

Local note:
We serve families across the Triad—Greensboro, Burlington, and surrounding counties—with pharmacist-informed onboarding and RN-directed plans of care.

FAQs

Q: Do you replace our doctor or local pharmacist?
A: No. In onboarding, we align the home routine—verify what’s being taken, build a practical schedule, and share safety concerns with your prescriber/pharmacy for decisions.

Q: Do you change or stop medications?
A: No. We don’t prescribe or discontinue drugs. We capture and clarify the list, spot duplicate/interaction risks, and send recommendations to your clinician. Caregivers provide reminders only.

Q: How often do you revisit the plan?
A: At least annually and whenever something changes—new drug or dose, hospital/ER visit, or new symptoms (e.g., dizziness, confusion, falls). We fold those checkpoints into RN care-plan reviews.

Q: What should we have ready for the onboarding visit?
A: All medication bottles (Rx, OTC, vitamins, herbals), inhalers/insulins/creams; any current med list; recent vitals/logs (BP, blood sugar, weight, pain); discharge papers if recently hospitalized.

Q: What exactly can caregivers do around medications?
A: Provide timely reminders and cueing, observe and report missed doses or side effects, support pillbox use as set up by family/nurse/pharmacist, organize safe storage, and coordinate pharmacy/doctor visits. They do not administer or change meds.

Q: Is onboarding and medication alignment covered by insurance?
A: Home care is typically private pay; we can assist with long-term care insurance claims. Medication alignment is included in onboarding—no separate fee.

Sources

• “Safe Use of Medicines for Older Adults,” National Institute on Aging (NIH)
• “Medicines and You: A Guide for Older Adults,” U.S. Food & Drug Administration
• “Beers Criteria® (Potentially Inappropriate Medications for Older Adults) — Plain-Language Overview,” HealthInAging.org (American Geriatrics Society)
• “Medicines and Fall Risk in Older Adults,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Note: This article is for general education only and is not medical advice.

Talk to a care specialist

Call/Text: 336-270-6647  |  Email: Greensboro@optionscorp.com/merrillville-indiana

Author

Jered Yalung, PharmD — Owner & Agency Director, Options Home Care (Greensboro & Burlington)
Pharmacist with long-term care experience focused on simplifying medication ro

Gradual decrease in kidney function can begin around age 35 for most average adults, with only one-third of older adults maintaining normal kidney function. Kidney performance may worsen quickly due to such things as dehydration or adverse medication effects, which can lead to the following serious health issues:

• High blood pressure (too much fluid in the body)
• Brittle bones leading to pathologic fractures
• Fluid and electrolyte imbalance
• A build-up of waste products in the body
• Loss of protein through kidneys
• Anemia (low red blood cell counts)

The importance of regular check-ups and screening cannot be stressed enough, as symptoms of kidney problems may not appear until the kidneys are not working properly. In between those check-ups, watch out for symptoms such as:

• Blood in the urine (hematuria)
• Sudden sharp pains in the back or side (kidney stones)
• Fluid retention or swelling (edema) in the arms, legs, or belly
• High blood pressure that is suddenly very difficult to control
• Increased or decreased need to urinate, including at night

In addition to maintaining kidney health, it is also a good idea to be familiar with the risk factors that increase the chance of developing kidney disease. Some examples are:

• Age 65 or older
• Male
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• African-American or Hispanic-American ancestry
• High cholesterol or blood pressure
• Smoking, lung, and liver diseases
• Recent surgery
• Family history of kidney infections

Animal Therapy 

For seniors who feel especially lonely or have trouble bonding with others, animal therapy can be extremely helpful. Developing a relationship with a pet is a universally rewarding experience, and studies have shown that simply spending time with animals can help reduce depression and decrease stress. 

Video Games 

Video games are an easy and interactive way to unwind. Aside from being fun, they also help to improve focus. For older adults, game systems that operate with an interactive remote control, such as the Nintendo Wii, are a good way to include and promote movement. 

Brain Teasers 

Crossword puzzles, riddles, logic puzzles, and other activities that challenge the mind are excellent recreational activities for older adults. Regularly engaging with brain teasers can help reduce the cognitive decline that occurs overtime with age, promoting strong attention, memory, visual and spatial processing, along with other skills. 

Listening to Music 

Listening to music is one of the best ways to reduce stress. For older adults, music can serve as a reminder of past experiences that helps with memory recall. Specific types of formal music therapy are available, but you can still reap the benefits at home by listening to the radio or your favorite album or CD. 

Art Therapy 

Art therapy can be extremely beneficial, and allows for self-expression. There are many options for participating in artistic types of recreational therapy classes; and art therapy is also easy to practice right from your own home. 

EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – Exercise and physical activity can help regulate sleep and prevent restlessness and sleeplessness in the evening. It can also help your loved one to maintain a positive mood, and lower the risk of developing depression.
Activities to consider: walking around the neighborhood or local park; fishing; water aerobics; exploring nature.

ANIMAL THERAPY – Pets have been shown to relieve stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety, but they can also provide a sensory experience for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Animal or pet therapy can help lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduce the stress hormone cortisol, and boost levels of the feel-good hormone, serotonin

Activities to consider: invite over a friend or family member that has a well behaved pet; take your loved one to visit a local animal shelter or a petting zoo; research local animal therapy programs.

MUSIC THERAPY – Music can both soothe and stimulate people, as well as elicit powerful emotional responses, and also help people reconnect with memories. Nostalgia can also be a great way to help your loved one connect with their past

Activities to consider: listen to their favorite band or singer together; create a playlist of their favorite music; show them videos of live performances.

ARTS & CRAFTS – Many people with Alzheimer’s and dementia benefit from a wide range of sensory stimulation through arts and crafts, even if they were never particularly creative before the disorder

Activities to consider: painting; knitting; adult coloring books; scrapbooking.

Or sometimes stress can come from closing chapters last year instead of starting new ones. Either way, how does one stay in the present moment and focus on the tasks at hand?

Meditation and its benefits have become a trendy topic for discussion. Most people have their own, intricate and personal definitions for what meditation means or what it looks like to meditate. But a simple and generally accepted explanation of it and its concept is that it provides self-awareness and perspective through mindfulness.

There are several different categories of meditation, each varying in their method. Their objective, however, remains the same, to keep the meditator in the present moment.

Meditation has been reported to have several benefits, from helping with mental health, to physical benefits. Because of the increased blood flow to the brain that occurs during meditation, emotional regulation, focus, memory, and attention span are improved.

As a result of reducing stress, there is a correlation between meditation and improved digestive health. Meditation can also aid in weight loss, better circulation, as well as strengthening the immune system.

For anyone wanting to learn how to meditate, there are several resources available to guide you through a sitting. Videos or audios can be found easily online.

No equipment is needed – a quiet place, a comfortable seat, and a few minutes is all anyone would need to get started. If movement is preferred, going for a mindful walk or simply being mindful doing your favorite activity is also a great way to start your meditation journey.