6 Things to Do When Helping Someone Home from Hospital
6 Things to Do When Helping Someone Home from Hospital
Bringing a family member home from hospital is a moment you have probably been looking forward to — but it can also feel unexpectedly daunting. People often come home less mobile than they were, with new medication, new equipment, and new needs that were not there before.
At Home Links Physiotherapy, we have supported many families through this transition. Here are our practical tips to help things go as smoothly as possible.
1. Check medication
It is very common for medication to change during a hospital stay. Before your family member comes home, find out exactly which medications they should now be taking, what has changed, and what to do about any medication they already have at home.
To avoid confusion, take any medication that is no longer required to your local pharmacy for safe disposal. If anything is unclear, ask the ward team before you leave — it is much easier to clarify things in person than over the phone once you are home.
2. Take home a copy of the discharge summary
Wherever possible, ask for a copy of the discharge summary to bring home with you. This document should clearly set out:
What was found to be wrong
What treatment was given
Any investigations carried out
Medication changes
Future treatment or referrals made
This information is invaluable during the first few days at home, especially as it can take several days for discharge information to reach your relative's GP. Keep it somewhere accessible.
3. Understand their after-hospital treatment and care
Some people come home with stitches, a cast, a wound dressing, or a bandage. Before leaving hospital, find out:
What the plan is for removal or dressing changes
Who will be coming to the house to carry this out, or whether you need to contact the GP or another service
Any specific instructions about how your relative should be moving — for example, whether they are non-weight bearing, using a frame or crutches, or have post-operative restrictions on certain movements
Clarify what aftercare has been arranged and get direct contact numbers where possible, so you are not having to call the ward from home if something does not arrive as expected.
If your relative cannot manage stairs initially and has been set up downstairs temporarily, ask when you can expect community therapy services to come and help review mobility and stair practice.
4. Understand social care arrangements
Find out what care has been put in place for washing, dressing, meals, and other daily tasks — and crucially, who is responsible for starting or restarting it. Is it being arranged by the hospital discharge team, or do you need to contact someone yourself?
It is also worth knowing who to contact as your relative starts to manage more independently, so that care packages can be adjusted or stepped down appropriately. Support is often needed for only a short time, and knowing how to make changes quickly helps everyone.
5. Understand any changes in mobility
Many people are sent home with new walking aids — a frame, crutches, or a stick — along with exercises to do at home. Check that the walking aid has been provided in hospital and that it travels home with your relative.
If there are stairs at home, your relative may need to have practised these before discharge. It is also worth having two sets of walking aids — one upstairs and one downstairs — so that no one needs to carry them between floors, which can be a significant falls risk.
Ask the ward physiotherapist or occupational therapist to clearly explain any exercises or movement instructions before you leave, and make sure you understand what your relative should and should not be doing.
6. Settling back home — practical tips
These practical steps make a real difference to how the first hours and days at home feel:
Before your relative arrives home, check that any equipment (bed rails, toilet frames, shower seats, raised toilet seats) has been delivered and fitted to the correct height
Get the heating on and check utilities are working
Make sure any call systems or personal alarms are switched on and working
Check the fridge for out-of-date food and make sure there is enough in for the next few days
Set up the kitchen so that regularly used items are within easy reach — consider using a flask so your relative can access hot water without needing to boil the kettle repeatedly
Check all clocks show the correct time, which helps with orientation particularly after a longer hospital stay
Bring in your relative's own clothes — including shoes and a coat — for the journey home. Hospital transport can be cold
Make sure your relative has their key, or that someone is there to meet them at the door
Expect tiredness. Coming home is wonderful but also exhausting — plan for rest and a gentle return to normal activities rather than trying to catch up on everything at once
What if you need more support at home?
The transition from hospital to home is often the most critical phase of recovery — and NHS community therapy services, while excellent, are sometimes stretched or time-limited. If your relative needs more physiotherapy support than is available through their care pathway, or if you would like sessions to begin sooner, Home Links Physiotherapy can help.
We visit people at home across South East London and Kent, with no GP referral needed. We work around you — at your pace, on your schedule — and can liaise with NHS colleagues and other health professionals to make sure care is joined up.
Get in touch with our team to find out how we can support your relative's recovery at home.
