Transitional care is usually thought of as transferring the care of the patient from one facility to another, such as a hospital to a post-acute care setting. Administrators should think more broadly about transitional care, and recognize that there are inherent challenges involved with transitioning to home care, as well. When any transfer of care occurs, there are, unfortunately, too many opportunities for critical information to get lost in translation. For example, a patient with dysphagia and a peg tube might be transferred to a nursing home with orders for a general diet. Inadequate transitional care can result from:
- Poor communication
- Inadequate patient and family education
- Inadequate discharge planning
- Limited access to needed resources and services
As a result of the many challenges associated with transitional care, these patients can be at a higher risk of:
- Hospital readmissions
- Falls
- Infections
- Medication errors