While a hospital stay can feel like a serious setback in your health journey, it doesn't have to be. Accidents, injuries, and illnesses can happen to any of us, even when we're careful and healthy.
If you ever find yourself in the hospital, being prepared with a solid discharge plan will help you return home and recover faster.
That could mean arranging for in-home care if needed, getting equipment delivered, and making your home safer for recovery. The better your plan, the smoother your transition home.
Here’s how hospital discharge planning promotes healing and how to build a personalized discharge plan that turns instructions into action.
What Is Hospital Discharge Planning?
Hospital discharge planning is the process of preparing for your care after leaving the hospital and making your return home as safe as possible.
Hospitals typically give you a discharge packet that explains:
- Where you will go to continue your recovery
- Who will provide your care
- A written medication list with dosages
- Referrals for posthospital services
If you're staying overnight in the hospital, a physician will typically determine what you'll need when you go home. They may also recommend staying in a recovery suite for the night where you’ll have the privacy and amenities of a hotel with access to nursing care or a step-down unit. This can help you have an easier transition, especially if you’ve just had surgery and experience side effects from anesthesia or don’t feel comfortable asking a family member or friend to help.
For outpatient procedures, you may need to ask for this planning support.
Discharge Planning and Healing
A solid hospital discharge plan supports your recovery in three ways:
- Prevents setbacks. You'll understand exactly what medications to take, which symptoms to watch for, and when to follow up with your doctor, reducing your risk of complications or going back to the hospital.
- Makes your home recovery-ready. Your plan should address safety concerns like lighting, clear pathways, grab bars, and any equipment you'll need to move around safely while you heal.
- Keeps everyone informed. Your doctors, home health providers, and family all get the same information about your care so nothing is overlooked.
Questions To Ask Before You Leave the Hospital (Save This Checklist)
Whether you're planning ahead or preparing for a procedure, having these questions ready will make sure you don’t miss an important element of your recovery.
Care and Instructions
- Which medications are new or discontinued, and why? Do I have a written medication list with dosing and timing? How will my physician receive this information?
- Which symptoms mean you should call your doctor right away or seek emergency care. These include chest pain, sudden confusion, trouble breathing, difficulty speaking, or uncontrolled bleeding.
- Have the necessary referrals been sent for home health, physical and occupational therapy, wound care and durable medical equipment (e.g., walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen equipment, shower chairs or bedside commodes)?
Home Setup
- Do I have a family member, relative or caregiver who is able and willing to stay with me as needed after I leave the hospital?
- Are they aware of potential side effects I may experience and when they may need to call for help?
- Can I safely enter and exit my home, including navigating steps, railings, thresholds and ramps?
- Is there adequate lighting at entrances and along walkways?
- Are there clear pathways inside my home? If not, do I need to remove throw rugs, cords or clutter to eliminate tripping hazards?
- Do I have a professional contact who can install grab bars or a shower chair in my bathroom? Do I have nonslip mats inside and outside the shower or bathtub, in front of the toilet and in front of the sink?
- Do I have a main‑floor sleeping plan if stairs are a concern? Has the equipment to support main-floor sleeping been delivered and tested in my home? (For example, is my bed at a safe height for getting in and out?)
- Do I have a phone, a call button, or a medical alert system easily accessible at all times? Can I reach emergency contacts quickly if I need help?
Appointments and Logistics
- Who scheduled my follow-up appointments, and when are they? (Hospitals should advise and often help schedule these appointments. Maintaining a calendar is helpful for tracking.)
- Who should I call with questions, to change appointments or for help outside regular business hours?
- Has my discharge information been sent to my primary care provider and specialists? (Your information should reach your primary care provider within seven days of discharge.)
- Do I have reliable transportation for appointments, therapy, labs, and tests?
- Who is my at-home support team, and when are they available? Are there gaps that require paid caregiver support?
- Are home services scheduled, and do I know when they will begin?
How Care Coordinators Support Healing
Hospital discharge planning is just one piece of aging well at home. At Kendal at Home, we help you prepare for all of life's transitions, from routine procedures to unexpected health changes, so you can keep living independently with confidence.
Our skilled care coordinators translate the discharge plan into an at‑home action plan tailored to you. That includes:
- An experienced care coordinator who works with your physicians to ensure your plan is executed
- Home setup and safety support
- Vetted in-home caregivers as needed
- Medication management support to prevent errors and missed doses
- Transportation to follow‑up appointments and tests as needed
- Ongoing check‑ins to spot emerging needs early
- Communication with friends and family, reducing stress and uncertainty
Consider how one of our care coordinators helped a member, Kathy Dawson, recover in her home after breaking her wrists and knee when she fell on a trip with her husband.
By the time she was released from the emergency room, her care coordinator had already set up a hospital bed in their living room and arranged for a caregiver.
“I really believe I healed faster because I was at home and not in a facility,” Kathy said. “I cannot stress enough how wonderful it is to be at home and heal. And they’re not just here for you physically. They’re here for you emotionally.”
While you might plan to have a family member or relative staying with you while you recover, it can be challenging for both of you if they don’t have previous experience providing care.
Our care coordinators help you get back to living your life, whether that’s traveling, volunteering, or spending time with family and friends, by managing your recovery details and checking in.
We make aging what it should be: planned, supported, and entirely your own—in the home you love.
See how Kendal at Home supports safer recoveries at home.
