headIng
home
It’s true:
There’s no place
like home.
given very specific, clear information at the time of
discharge they were 30 percent less likely to need to
check back in later.
You’ve Got a Plan
Don’t worry—you’re not on your own when it comes
to finding the information you need. Your hospital
will give you a discharge plan that includes details
about your hospital stay and what you’ll need after
you leave. (What type of plan you’ll receive varies from
facility to facility.)
When you review the plan with your nurse, patient
navigator or another staff member, use that time to
ask any questions, especially if you’re unclear about
the details. Says Leanne Tullis, R.N., a staff nurse at
Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center, in Hay- Louie, P.T., acute care manager for rehabilitation at
ward, California, “If you don’t understand something, California Pacific Medical Center, in San Francisco.
don’t be afraid to ask the doctor again or ask a nurse • ongoing medical care: Will you need special home
or a social worker. Ask them to use simple terms and care from a nurse or health aide, and if so, for what
ask them to write it down for you.” (You can also use period of time? Ask your hospital’s social worker for
our “Check-out Checklist,” on page 40, as a guide.) help in getting these services and dealing with Medi-
care or Medicaid to pay for them, if you qualify. You
GoinG Home may also need special equipment, such as an oxygen
When it’s time to go home, or to a friend or family machine, while at home.
member’s home, you’ll need to make sure that wher- • medications: Do you need any prescriptions filled?
ever you’re headed is ready for you. To consider: Does your discharge plan make clear what medica-
• Getting home: “Do you have a ride home? If a friend tions you’re taking and for how long, as well as tim-
or relative can’t drive you, ask the hospital’s social ing, interactions, food and drinks you can’t take with
worker about transportation services,” says Alice them, dosages and possible side effects? Drugs can
be an especially confusing part of your discharge,
Contact Information
says Campagna, who advises checking to be sure you
know how your regimen might have changed from
Provider Name Phone number Notes
the meds you were taking before your stay. Don’t
(office hours, email)
forget to mention over-the-counter drugs and supple-
Primary care doctor/
ments too. “A nurse may even ask a family member
hospitalist
to bring in your medication bottles from home” to

be sure all drugs are accounted for, Campagna adds.
Specialist
• Doctor’s appointments: You will need to know when
Specialist your follow-up appointments are and be able to get
Specialist
to them on time. Your hospital can provide informa-
tion on transportation options, if you need them.
e
s
g
a
Nurse
• Household accommodations: If you can’t climb stairs
i
m
e
r
e
d
Nurse
your bedroom and bathroom should ideally be on
a
t
p
i
t
r
the ground floor. If they’re not, you may need to have /
j
u
p
o
r
Patient navigator
t
o
o
a bed and a portable toilet set up there. You may also
d
c
a
need a walker or wheelchair to get around. If you’re
k

i
n
Case worker
l
e
e
r

p
o

v
in a wheelchair, you’ll need to make sure it can get © ©
32 the patient magazine 2010
PT030__0FVP0_SP10FEAThome.indd 32 2/8/10 8:40 AM
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