Patient and caregiver views on factors affecting the experience of transitioning from hospital to home: kindness and caring of health care team in hospital
| Unique concept | Representative quote* |
|---|---|
| Hospital staff being kind and caring | Once home, I recalled each day the words of encouragement and advice I had received while in the hospital, to my benefit. (Female patient, age 65–79) Some of the hospital [physiotherapists] were just going through the motions — did not seem to care. (Male patient, age 65–79) The doctor was amazing. Caring and kind and treated my 92-year-old dad the same way he would treat a 25-year-old. (Caregiver of male patient, age ≥ 80) |
| Health care team in hospital respecting and listening to caregivers | The nurses, doctors and specialists [took] our concerns seriously since we know our child best. (Caregiver of male patient, age ≤ 5) Not enough weight was given to the concerns of the relatives of the patient. They weren’t always included, and the patient, being 85, did not advocate for the support needed. (Caregiver of female patient, age ≥ 80) |
| Doctors and nurses taking the time to listen and answer questions in hospital | Doctor took time to answer questions and ensure I was equipped to manage on my own. (Female patient, age 26–49) The doctor and nurses did not answer all my questions and were not helpful with things like what to expect post surgery. (Caregiver of male patient, age 65–79) |
| Physiotherapy/occupational therapy support being provided in hospital | No [physiotherapy, occupational therapy] or discharge planning on the weekends. (Caregiver of male patient, age ≥ 80) [Physiotherapy] made sure I could safely move enough before I was discharged. (Female patient, age 26–49) |
| Speech, hearing, visual or mobility needs being accommodated in hospital | We felt that the staff did not make sure that their message was heard and understood by our parents. [Our parents’] lack of hearing was not recognized by the hospital staff. (Caregiver of female patient, age ≥ 80) There is no accommodation for someone with aphasia, which is contrary to the [Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act]. (Caregiver of female patient, age ≥ 80) |
| Dementia being accommodated and managed appropriately in hospital | Every new nurse working with [the patient] had no idea he [had dementia] and little notion how to accommodate care. Care plan was inadequate or not read. (Caregiver of male patient, age ≥ 80) Nurses at hospital had parent in hospital for over 1 week and did not recognize there were cognitive deficits. (Caregiver of female patient, age ≥ 80) |
| Providing culturally safe and appropriate care for Indigenous people in hospital | This was a First Nations patient, and there are unique needs to consider with the history of First Nations’ distrust [of] the health care system. (Caregiver) |
| Being able to communicate in preferred language in hospital | When I was translating for my dad, the doctor was losing patience with me as I tried to find the right words. (Caregiver of male patient, age 65–79) No translation services were provided for patient, who did not speak English. (Facilitated group participant) |
↵* Respondent age and gender are provided when available; caregiver respondents provided the age and gender of the patient they were caring for.