# After hospital discharge: a checklist for caring for a parent at home

What to ask before leaving the hospital, how to prepare the home, and which warning signs need a doctor quickly.

Source: https://healthcare.servq.in/care-guides/after-hospital-discharge-checklist/

> **Note:** **Not medical advice.** This guide is general information for families and does not replace advice from your own doctor. In an emergency call 108 or go to the nearest hospital.

> Before leaving the hospital, make sure you have the discharge summary, a clear medicine list, follow-up dates, warning signs to watch for, and a plan for who helps at home. Prepare the home before arrival, and call the doctor or 108 promptly if warning signs appear.

## Before you leave the hospital

- Get the written discharge summary and all reports
- Ask for a list of every medicine: name, dose, timing, purpose and how long to take it. Ask what to stop.
- Ask what the patient can eat, how much activity is allowed, and when bathing is safe
- Ask what care is needed at home: dressings, injections, catheter, physiotherapy, turning
- Note follow-up dates and whom to call with questions
- Ask for the specific warning signs that mean "come back" or "call now"

## Prepare the home

- A bed at a safe height, with a firm mattress and, if advised, a hospital-style bed or rails
- A clear, well-lit path to the toilet; a commode chair if walking is difficult
- A pill organiser and a written medicine schedule on the wall
- A thermometer, blood pressure monitor and, if the doctor has advised, a glucometer and pulse oximeter
- A list of emergency numbers by the phone: doctor, hospital, 108, family

## The first two weeks

Many problems happen after discharge when medicines are mixed up or warning signs are missed. Keep a simple daily log: medicines given, food and fluids, bowel and bladder, sleep, and readings the doctor asked for.

## Warning signs to act on

Call the doctor the same day, or go to hospital if you cannot reach one, for: new fever, a wound that is red, swollen, leaking pus or opening up, vomiting that does not stop, not passing urine, new confusion or unusual drowsiness, swelling of one leg, or pain that is getting worse. **Call 108** for chest pain, severe breathlessness, face drooping, slurred speech, weakness on one side, fainting, or heavy bleeding.

## Who can help at home

- A [home nurse](https://healthcare.servq.in/services/home-nursing/) for dressings, prescribed injections, catheter care and vitals
- An [attendant or GDA](https://healthcare.servq.in/services/attendant-care/) for bathing, feeding and moving safely
- A [physiotherapist](https://healthcare.servq.in/services/physiotherapy-at-home/) to rebuild strength and movement
- A [hospital escort](https://healthcare.servq.in/services/hospital-escort/) for follow-up visits

> **Note:** Medical review: this guide is awaiting review by [REVIEWER NAME AND QUALIFICATION] on [REVIEW DATE].

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