How to Plan for a Nursing Home Discharge
Having a loved one discharged from a nursing home requires careful planning. Most families prefer to keep loved ones at home, although nursing-home placement is necessary in some cases. If a family member has been rehabilitated and is able to return home, precautions should be taken and preparations made to be sure your loved one will be safe and secure upon returning home.
Instructions
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How to Plan for a Nursing Home Discharge
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Discuss special needs with your loved one's physician. Special diets, personal care and safety concerns should be addressed. Find out if your loved one is able to be home alone, and plan for family members or hired caretakers to be present if being home alone is not safe for your loved one.
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2
Meet with the therapists at the nursing home to determine if your loved one will need any special equipment to get around at home. She may need a walker or wheelchair to get from place to place or a hospital bed to sleep in. Bedside commodes, canes, bedpans and portable oxygen are some of the things people need when returning home from a nursing-home stay.
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3
Order any necessary medical equipment for delivery before your loved one's return home. Stock up on food that meets the requirements of your loved one's special diet, if necessary.
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Fill all prescriptions and place medications in a weekly medication dispenser. These dispensers allow you to organize pills into dosages for different times of day. Read the instructions for each prescription carefully and place the appropriate medication in each pod.
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Conduct a safety analysis of the home. Remove obvious safety hazards, such as cords crossing hallways or walkways or loose pieces of carpet. If it's difficult for your loved one to get around, arrange a sleeping area on the main living floor. Your loved one won't have to navigate stairs to get to the kitchen or restroom if everything is on the same floor.
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Arrange for someone to help out at home the day your loved one returns in case you need assistance getting her up or down stairs.
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Tips & Warnings
If your loved one lives alone, check on him regularly, especially during the first few days after he returns home. Many patients end up back in the nursing home or hospital due to accidents or other health problems soon after returning home.
