Knowing When the Time is Appropriate to be Discharged from a Hospital or Rehab
Patient Safety Awareness Week was established to encourage everyone to learn more about health care safety and inspire action to improve the safety of the health care system- for patients and the workforce. This year, Patient Safety Awareness Week falls on March 13th-19th and in the spirit of raising awareness for the health and safety of all older adults, many of whom in the area are our clients, we wanted to share some helpful information on a hot topic: knowing when the time is (and is not) appropriate to be discharged from a hospital or rehabilitation facility.
Before getting discharged from a hospital or a facility, you will want to consider the following:
- Are you clear on what your medical status and condition is?
- Are there any follow-up doctor appointments needed?
- If so, do you know all the details of those appointments and do you have transportation to get you to said appointments?
- What medication(s) are you on and do you understand the side effects?
- If you are already taking medication, have you reviewed with your doctor to ensure it is safe to take your new medication(s) with the ones you take routinely?
- Has any specific medical equipment been recommended to help you recover safely at home?
- If so, how are you getting such medical equipment? Do you know why this equipment is being recommended and are you clear on how to properly use it?
- As you make the transition back home, are there any warning signs you should be aware of that may indicate that you need to go back to the hospital or seek immediate medical attention?
- Are your family, friends and caregivers aware of these warning signs as well?
Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and facilities have been overwhelmed and premature discharges are inevitable. Knowledge is empowerment which is why we want you to be aware of when it is too early for you or your loved one to be discharged. ABC Home Healthcare Professionals has created a Discharge Planning Checklist for our clients and their friends and families to help with understanding the discharge planning process as well as knowing what specific questions to ask >>
Download our Discharge Planning Checklist
