When planning for discharge from a hospital admission, it can be difficult to know what to say or ask your care team before going home. Many patients report that they don’t manage to get all the answers they need beforehand, whether that’s because they are too busy, stressed or simply can’t remember their questions.
The best thing to do is plan your discharge ahead of time to avoid arriving home unsure of recovery times or without numbers to call should you need assistance. Today, we’ll examine how to do just that, including questions to ask before signing your discharge form.
What Is Discharge Planning?
Planning for a discharge from hospital seems simple, but there’s often more involved than many people realise. We recommend planning early to make sure the end of your admission is as smooth-sailing as possible. This might mean at the start of your hospital stay, or even before if it’s a pre-planned stay.
Your plan should help identify what services and support you might need upon leaving the hospital. This can change throughout your stay depending on your care needs and preferences. By the end of your hospital admission, you should have a clear discharge plan in place to ensure everyone’s on the same page.
A discharge plan should include:
- Your medical condition, information on treatment, medication and future appointments, and details of your doctors and consultants.
- Services and support systems in place for when returning home, such as live-in home care, day care services or aids and equipment to your home.
Your discharge plan will change depending on how you respond to treatments, expert advice from consultants and your own questions. There should be nothing left out of your discharge plan, so you, your loved ones and carers are all confident in the knowledge going forward.
Questions to Ask Before Being Discharged
Asking plenty of questions during your stay is really important to ensure you’re never left feeling worried, overwhelmed or in the dark about your treatment. There are plenty of questions to remember, so we recommend writing everything you want to ask down in a notebook. This also gives you somewhere to jot down the answers.
Questions About Your Condition and Treatment
- Why have I been hospitalised?
- What is my exact diagnosis and reason for staying in hospital?
- What treatments and procedures have I received during my stay?
- Are there follow-up tests I need after discharge?
- How will I know if I’m recovering well at home?
Questions About Medications
- What medications am I being prescribed for at home? Including name, correct dose and frequency.
- Are there any medications I should stop taking or avoid during my recovery?
- What are the potential side effects of medicine I should look for?
- Can these medicines interact with any OTC painkillers or supplements?
Questions About Activity and Lifestyle Moving Forward
- Will I have to restrict any of my daily activities, such as physical activity, driving, or working, while recovering?
- Should I change my diet?
- Are there any exercises or rehabilitation activities I can do at home?
- How long before I can return to my normal routine?
Questions About Follow-Up Care
- When is my next appointment with my doctor or consultant?
- Which specialists will I need to see, if any?
- Will I need home care, therapy or other support services?
- Who should I call if I have any questions or complications? (Write all relevant numbers down.)
Questions About Signs and Symptoms to Watch
- Which symptoms are urgent or require an emergency trip to A&E?
- Which issues can wait for a call to my doctor?
- Are there any common side effects I can expect to see? What are the rare symptoms?
- When should I worry about delayed healing time?
Questions About Practical Logistics
- Who will be in charge of my discharge paperwork?
- Do I need prescriptions filled before leaving?
- How will I get my test results back?
- Are there any community resources or support groups I can use?
- Will I need anyone with me before I can be discharged?
Planning Your Discharge Ahead of Time
Planning your discharge early is a smart move for anyone with an upcoming hospital stay. Not only does it keep you in the loop about your admission, but it might also relieve some pressure from your healthcare team.
Here are the most important things to consider when discharge planning:
Understanding Your Medical Needs
One of the most important things to consider when discharge planning is your specific needs, diagnosis and treatment plan. If there’s still uncertainty surrounding your medical needs, ask your doctor about your diagnosis, medication requirements, follow-up appointments and warning signs.
Ask about patient education and resources to help post-discharge. Many hospitals provide videos or written instructions to help you understand wound care, diet restrictions and activity limitations. Make sure nothing’s left unanswered.
Preparing Your Home
Depending on your specific circumstances, your healthcare team might recommend preparing your home before the day of your hospital stay to ensure the living areas are safe and accessible upon your arrival back. Consider:
- Creating a sleeping area on the main floor of your home
- Installing grab bars in the bathroom and near stairs
- Leaving important belongings, medications and essential items in easily accessible places
Organising Medications
When discharged from the hospital, you might be given medication to bring home. Before discharge, ask for clear instructions on when you should take each medicine (e.g. before food or on an empty stomach), how frequently and any side effects to look out for.
Before leaving the hospital, make sure you have enough to last you until you can get your prescription filled or enough to cover the entire course. A pill organiser can be really helpful if you’ve been prescribed multiple medications that need to be taken at different times of the day.
Planning Follow-Up Care
If you need to see your doctor, surgeon or specialist after discharge, it can be valuable to schedule these follow-up appointments beforehand. This makes sure you know the next time you’ll see a member of your healthcare team, so you don’t go home feeling overwhelmed or on your own.
Ask your team about rehabilitation, physical therapy and other outpatient services you might need. We also recommend making a list of emergency contacts from your healthcare team, so you know who to call should you need advice or urgent care.
Arranging Home Care
Some healthcare teams will ask you about your support system at home before discharging you, so make sure you know who can help you with daily activities such as cooking, bathing and cleaning. You could ask a family member for support or set up a rota for loved ones to help out whenever they can.
If you don’t have reliable support from family members or friends, you could consider arranging professional home care or nursing support. You should also pre-plan a way to get home after discharge, so you’re not left waiting without a ride.
How Country Cousins Can Help
Country Cousins offers live-in care services to people after short- and long-term stays in hospital. Our carers can provide assistance with discharge planning, asking the relevant questions before leaving hospital and transport home. Once home, our after-hospital care provides you with the tools to make your recovery as comfortable and efficient as possible.
Our fully-trained, compassionate carers offer:
- Assistance with bathing, oral hygiene and dressing
- Companionship and emotional support
- Daily monitoring
- Mobility and transportation support
- Cooking and meal planning of nutritious meals to aid recovery
- Encouragement to continue exercising and hobbies
Download our free guide to care at home after hospital discharge to see how we can support a speedy, straightforward recovery from the comfort of your own home.
Talk to Our Team Today
As the UK’s longest-serving introductory live-in care agency, we have been providing compassionate live-in care to those who need it since 1959 – all from the comfort of their own homes.
Give us a call today on 01293 224 706. Our experienced team is on hand to help from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. Alternatively, contact us through our online enquiry form.
