July 22, 2025
Preparing for hospital discharge includes honestly answering some important questions.
The day your loved one comes home from the hospital should feel like a victory. They’ve made it through surgery, illness, or injury, and now it’s time to recover in a more comfortable place: home.
But once the joy of getting them out of the hospital wears off, the reality hits. Now what? How will you keep track of medications? Is your house safe? What happens if they need more help than you can give?
At Continuum, we’ve helped countless families preparing for hospital discharge and the transition that follows. We know how overwhelming it can be to go from family member to caregiver overnight. That’s why we encourage you to take a deep breath, pause for a moment, and start planning the right way before bringing an older adult home.
Here are some of the key questions to think through first:
- Are there potential challenges in your home environment? For instance, is anyone in the household a smoker or a heavy drinker? Are there pets that might get underfoot and cause falls?
- Will you need to modify your home to make it safer? Think about grab bars in bathrooms, improved lighting in hallways, wheelchair accessibility, and eliminating tripping hazards like area rugs.
- Will your loved one have their own private space where they can rest, relax, and recover? Privacy and dignity matter a great deal during recovery.
- Are there any unresolved family dynamics that might interfere with caregiving? Bringing an older adult home adds emotional layers that should be acknowledged upfront.
- What happens when you need a break? Are there plans for respite care if you travel, work, or need time to recharge?
- How will the move affect your household? For example, will a child need to give up their room, or will other family routines need to change?
- If you work outside the home, who will be responsible for providing care while you’re away? Will professional support be needed?
After thinking through these questions, the next step is to gather everyone in your household for a family meeting. Be open and honest. Talk about what life will look like with an older adult recovering in the home. Invite input from everyone—spouses, children, siblings, and even extended family. The more openly you can address concerns now, the fewer misunderstandings you’ll face later.
Once the household is aligned, it’s time to have a heart-to-heart with your loved one. While they may be eager to leave the hospital, they might also have mixed emotions about the need to be cared for by family members. Acknowledge their feelings, and reassure them that your home will be a place of healing, safety, and connection.
And remember: you do not have to take this on alone. Continuum provides expert home care and memory care services in Clayton, Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, and throughout St. Louis and St. Charles counties to help families during this time of transition. From helping you prepare the home to providing skilled care after discharge, we are here to support both your loved one and your entire family.
If you’re preparing for a hospital-to-home move, let us help you make it a success. Call us at (314) 863-9912 to schedule a free in-home consultation. We’ll help you create a plan so that your loved one’s next chapter begins with confidence and peace of mind.