Many hospital stays can be avoided! The key is to identify a change in condition at an early stage, when it is still possible to treat or resolve the issue in the home. Nightingale Homecare provides training to all of its caregivers to observe for even subtle changes.  Perhaps there is a change in appetite or an increase in the time it takes to complete activities. Maybe the client is more out of breath than usual after walking across the room. At Nightingale Homecare, these issues get reported to a Registered Nurse, who does further evaluation and makes a decision about what needs to happen next. Our nurses routinely communicate with our client’s primary care providers to make a plan for action. This intervention leads to early treatment for conditions that commonly cause clients to head to the hospital, such as heart failure, pneumonia or urinary tract infections. Most other non-medical agencies do not have medical professionals on staff so all they can do is recommend the client to call their doctor or call 911 when medical issues arise.