Care process
Discharge planning
Discharge planning is the process a hospital, nursing home or other facility uses to prepare a patient to leave. Staff review needs, medicines, equipment and where care will happen next. The patient and caregiver are part of the planning team.
Why it matters for your family
Start early. Medicare's discharge planning checklist tells patients and caregivers to ask about where they will get care, whether options like home health exist and whether medical equipment is needed and covered. It also covers drug lists, help with bathing, dressing, cooking and rides to appointments. Ask for written instructions. Caregivers should ask about training for tasks that need special skills. A common mistake is to wait until the day of discharge. Ask the social worker or discharge planner on day one. Medicare does not pay for ongoing non-medical care at home, so families should plan for that gap. HomeCare.com caregivers are non-medical.
Source: medicare.gov
Read more: What is Home Care? How to Benefit from These Services?
Related terms
- Hospital dischargeHospital discharge is when a patient leaves the hospital to go home or to another care setting.
- Transitional careTransitional care is support that helps a person move safely from one care setting to another, such as from hospital to home.
- Care planA care plan is a written plan that lists a person's needs, goals, tasks, schedule and who does what.
- Medicare home health benefitThe Medicare home health benefit pays for part-time or intermittent skilled care at home.
- Care coordinationCare coordination is the work of organizing a person's care across doctors, caregivers, services and family so the pieces fit together.
- Home safety assessmentA home safety assessment is a room-by-room check of a home for hazards that could cause falls or injuries.
