How Can a Care Coordinator Help Your Facility?
If your facility doesn’t currently have a care coordinator, it’s time to think about hiring one. These professionals can help reduce readmissions and improve overall patient outcomes.
Since patient health and well-being is your top priority, it only makes sense to have a designated person on staff to help with their transition. When patients leave the amazing care provided at your facility, you want to do everything possible to ensure their recovery keeps progressing at a steady rate.
Here’s how patients can benefit from having a care coordinator at your facility.
Recommend the Best Setting for Patients
When patients leave your facility, they have to go somewhere. However, there’s no standard right setting that’s best for everyone. A care coordinator reviews each patient’s individual circumstances — i.e., medical history, current functionality, living situation — to determine the best place for their continued recovery.
The place where a patient is sent to recover can make all the difference to their recovery. For those living with family members willing to assist, a home might be the best choice, while a nursing facility could be a better option for those living independently. Without a care coordinator, the patient might not have proper guidance to make this decision on their own — so they won’t necessarily make the right one.
Ensure Patients Receive Proper Follow-Up Care
After leaving your facility, you hope patients continue to progress in their recovery, but it doesn’t always go that way. A care coordinator stays in touch with patients, making sure they’re keeping all appointments and taking their medication as directed.
If there’s any question about the facility patients have transitioned to, the care coordinator might even make an onsite visit to check things out. Seeing what’s going on firsthand allows them to catch any red flags and make necessary changes before irreversible damage is done.
Assess Overall Health Data
Care coordinators help individual patients manage their health, but they’re also interested in the greater good. These professionals use technology to learn more about overall health outcomes. Data can help them determine the best facility for patients, given their unique needs. Innovative tools can also provide statistics that help them make more specific recommendations for their care plan.
Serve as a Patient Advocate
Everyone on your staff wants patients to succeed, but their individual efforts are only part of the equation. A care coordinator serves as a patient advocate by working with the entire team — i.e., doctors, nurses, social workers — on their behalf. This gives them a well-rounded look at the big picture, so they’re able to make the best possible recommendations.
Some patients have loved ones to advocate on their behalf, but many do not. Having a care coordinator on their side, looking out for their best interests, can make a world of difference to their recovery.
Thinking about adding a skilled care coordinator to your team? To learn more about how we can help you find top behavioral health talent, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].
