Getting Ready for the Homecoming: A Checklist for Discharge

There are a lot of things to remember to do and ask when it’s nearing the day your child can come home. This checklist can help you to ask the important questions.

• Build your team. Connect your child’s physician, the hospital team, the insurance companies and home team to ensure your child’s care is well coordinated.
• Talk with your home health agency about how you can connect with a company for equipment.
• Determine which equipment will need to be delivered to the home and which items will follow your child home, because some might be necessary for transport.
• Ensure you and your family are comfortable with hospital-provided training on how to use your child’s equipment.
• Order prescriptions or other medications that you will need at home, and ask if it’s possible to have the prescriptions filled in the hospital.
• Meet with the hospital discharge planner to talk about your choice of home health agency. Having supports already scheduled for your arrival home makes for a smoother transition. The home health agency may be able to schedule the nurse to ride home with your child from the hospital to address any issues that arise during travel.
• Learn as much as you can about the medicines your child is receiving from the hospital staff and what you can do to continue this routine at home. The hospital nurses are available to teach you everything you need to know to continue care after discharge.
• Call your electric service provider to ensure your home electric system works with your child’s equipment. If you have an older home or your child needs more than one piece of equipment, you may need to update your system. An electrician or someone from the durable medical equipment (DME) company can come to your home to check your system. If you rent, talk with your landlord about what you need.
• Work with the discharge planner and your insurer/managed care organization to schedule follow-up appointments that your child will need in the next few weeks.