Embargoed Until 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Dr. John Lumpkin, Senior Vice President and Director of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Care Group
Stations, the following is a news announcement. Suggested lead in 3, 2, 1…
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One out of every five elderly adults leaving the hospital end up back in a hospital bed within a month. On February 13, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation convened leading health organizations in Washington, D.C. to discuss reducing avoidable hospital readmissions.
Dr. John Lumpkin, senior vice president and director of the Foundation’s health care group, points to research that says three-quarters of patients with chronic illnesses wouldn’t need to return to the hospital if they had plans for follow-up care.
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WHETHER YOU ARE LEAVING THE HOSPITAL OR HELPING A LOVED ONE WHO IS, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT COMES NEXT. YOU SHOULD HAVE A WRITTEN CARE PLAN WITH INFORMATION ON FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS, A LIST OF ALL MEDICATIONS, AND INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO IF YOU START FEELING WORSE. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AND HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER IN THE ROOM, SO YOU DON’T MISS ANYTHING. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, HAVE YOUR REGULAR DOCTOR OR A NURSE COORDINATE YOUR CARE.
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To learn more, visit RWJF.org/goto/yourcare.