Your Elderly Loved One’s Voice Matters: The Smart Guide to Hospital Staff Communication
- Christopher Zambakari
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Dr. Christopher Zambakari, B.S., MBA, M.I.S., LP.D.
Owner/Operator; Desert Haven Home Care, Apollo Residential Assisted Living, Villa Fiore Assisted Living-Prescott Valley
Under a single home care umbrella, Desert Haven Home Care, Apollo Residential Assisted Living, and Villa Fiore Assisted Living-Prescott feature unparalleled care, feature unparalleled care, service and advocacy in the compassionate treatment of senior citizens in need of medical attention. Offered in a familial setting, the facilities are teamed by professionals passionate about their work and fully engaged in the welfare of residents. Each facility proudly provides patient-centric supervisory, assisted and directed care, short-term respite stays and memory care support for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
Make it quick.
Healthcare research shows that doctor-patient interactions are often brief, and with the senior population growing rapidly—thousands reaching age 65 every day—it is more important than ever to improve communication and ensure seniors’ voices are fully heard.
Quality dialogue must take place between care team and patient.
The information below will help you direct communication with hospital staff more effectively.
Why hospital staff communication matters
Communication is voice.
Healthcare communication can be a matter of life and death. In the U.S., medical errors rank as the fifth-leading cause of death, and communication failures lead to more than 70% of these mistakes. Patient transfers are even stickier: About 80% of serious medical errors happen because of poor communication during moves.
For seniors, the numbers are even more troubling: About 85% of our elderly have at least one chronic health condition, while 60% deal with multiple chronic conditions. Poor communication between elderly patients, their families, and healthcare staff results in up to 36% of healthcare mistakes.
Further, meaningful dialogue between care team and patient is a matter of safety, especially during transition: Seventy percent of hospital-to-home health transitions include at least one safety issue[6]. These issues often stem from lack of patient information, medication problems, and lack of understanding care plans. and incomplete information sharing.
We need more than 18 seconds.
Open dialogue can build trust between healthcare providers and elderly patients. With trust, studies show patients are more likely to:
share critical medical information with their providers.
follow treatment plans.
take active part in their care decisions.
realize better health outcomes.
When healthcare providers focus on clear, patient-centered communication, they create an environment in which elderly patients feel valued, understood, and confident about their care decisions. The resulting improvement in treatment is evidenced in fewer medication errors, lower patient wait times, and lower costs, among other benefits.
When healthcare providers focus on clear, patient-centered communication, they create an environment in which elderly patients feel valued, understood, and confident about their care decisions. The resulting improvement in treatment is evidenced in fewer medication errors, lower patient wait times, and lower costs, among other benefits.
Preparing for hospital communication
Communication is preparation.
Meaningful dialogue with a care team begins, first, with organizing vital medical information. A detailed medical file will build your foundation for better hospital communication. Suggestions below is best kept in a personalized three-ringed notebook and stationed nearby for emergencies, or go digital with health record apps on your cell phone. Share login details with someone you trust. Gather these key documents from the past year:
Personal health history—conditions, treatments, outcomes
Your family’s medical background, including inherited conditions
Latest test results and hospital discharge summaries
Current list of medications, including doses and prescribing doctors
Insurance papers and legal documents like living wills.
Good communication becomes vital as aging affects how we process details and use our senses. Prepare an “All About Me” document with vital information about your loved one, including their communication and care preferences.
Regular doctor visits are opportunities to update and improve your communication plan. See specialists, including hearing and vision doctors, who can help with age-related changes that affect communication. Review medications with your pharmacist when doctors prescribe new ones to avoid bad reactions between different drugs.
Effective ways to advocate for elderly loved ones
Advocate for the better.
Strong partnerships with hospital staff are the lifeblood of supporting aging loved ones. Research shows that active clinical communication leads to better patient outcomes and reduces functional decline during hospital stays. Become an active member of your loved one’s care team. Meet the nurses, doctors, and specialists. Let them know your role as a family supporter. Care quality improves once caregivers participate in care decisions.
Track your parent’s condition daily as a powerful tool during medical discussions, and don’t wait to raise concerns about possible problems. Families often notice changes in a patient’s condition before clinical staff does. Watch medication management and care transitions closely; ask for clear explanations about new medicines, treatment changes, and discharge plans.
These proven strategies help you support your loved one more effectively:
Ask for daily updates at set times about your loved one’s condition
Attend important events, including doctors’ rounds and procedures
Ask providers to explain developments in simple terms
Note all conversations and care decisions
Hospital-induced delirium is a common issue for elderly patients. Simple ways to ensure a loved one’s comfort include keeping a room quiet and the doors closed from outside distractions; controlling lighting in the setting, especially at bedtime; visiting often; and bringing favorite items from home—blankets, photos, etc.
Conclusion
Promoting the well-being of elderly family members in healthcare settings takes dedication, preparation, and clear communication. Your role as a family advocate helps to ensure quality care. Patient outcomes improve substantially when family members participate actively. Your pre-emergency prep work helps answer questions and concerns quickly.
Make your role in a loved one’s medical history—before, during, after—more than simple gestures and assurances. You can be the difference when you are properly prepared to actively participate in care decisions, advocating for the wants and needs of the patient, while working with care teams to share patient history and realize the best possible treatment outcomes.
About the Author
Dr. Christopher Zambakari is the owner and operator of four Arizona-based assisted living care homes – Desert Haven Home Care in Phoenix, Apollo Residential Assisted Living in Glendale, and Villa Fiore Assisted Living and Sheridan Lane Assisted Living in Prescott Valley, Arizona. He provides direction and oversight to a team of licensed medical and caregiving professionals to ensure the highest levels of customized care, service and advocacy at each of his facilities. Zambakari is founder and CEO of The Zambakari Advisory, an international consultancy in the areas of strategic intelligence, program design and transitional processes. He is a Hartley B. and Ruth B. Barker Endowed Rotary Peace Fellow, and the assistant editor of the Bulletin of The Sudans Studies Association.
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