If you or your loved one are in hospital, how on earth do you work out how to get home? Hospitals are incredibly busy, so knowing what options are available & what to ask can help ensure a smooth discharge for yourself or a loved one.
1. Understand the situation:
a) Understand the diagnosis - do they know what the diagnosis is? Or is there something they suspect?
b) Potential discharge plans - try to get a feel as to whether you or your loved one will be in there for hours, days or weeks
c) Level of care required on discharge - trying to establish what additional assistance may be required when they return home e.g. shower assistance, welfare checks, medication support etc.
2. Create a plan - meeting or liaising with formal & informal supports to determine capacity to assist on discharge home and then communicating this to the hospital.
3. Stay in regular contact with the hospital - to ascertain changes to discharge plans, to better understand diagnosis, to see if there are updates on level of care required on discharge and to communicate formal & informal capacity to assist.
4. Advocacy when required - advocating when you or your loved one do not feel safe returning home with the proposed supports
As always you can send any questions through our website at www.thetruthaboutageing.com.au - you can also find us on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing or on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast :)
