Hospital Patient Advocate in New Hampshire

Your parent is being discharged and nothing feels right — the plan seems rushed, nobody is answering your questions, and you don't know who to call. New Hampshire families have more advocacy resources than most realize, but the challenge is knowing which person does what and when each one is useful.

The Hospital's Own Team

Every hospital is required under federal Conditions of Participation to provide discharge planning services. The people responsible for this are usually titled case managers, discharge planners, or hospital social workers. Their job is to assess your parent's post-acute care needs, coordinate referrals to skilled nursing facilities or home health agencies, arrange durable medical equipment, and ensure prescriptions are reconciled before discharge.

The limitation: hospital social workers are employees of the hospital. They work under administrative pressure to move patients through beds efficiently, and their primary obligation is to the facility, not to your family. They can help coordinate logistics, but they cannot advocate against their employer's discharge decision.

If you feel the discharge plan is inadequate — your parent isn't stable enough to go home, the home health agency hasn't confirmed staffing, the DME hasn't been ordered — escalate within the hospital first. Ask to speak with the nurse manager for the unit, then the department director. Document every conversation in writing (email is better than verbal) and note the date, time, and name of each person you speak with.

When to Call Acentra Health

If your parent is a Medicare hospital inpatient and the hospital is proceeding with a discharge you believe is clinically unsafe, you have the right to file a formal appeal through Acentra Health, New Hampshire's Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO). This is the most powerful tool available to families because filing the appeal legally halts the discharge while an independent physician reviews the medical record.

Call Acentra Health's toll-free line at 1-888-319-8452 before your parent leaves the hospital and before midnight on the scheduled discharge date. The appeal is free, and the hospital cannot discharge your parent or charge them for continued care during the review.

This is not a complaint line — it's a formal federal appeals mechanism with binding authority. Acentra's independent reviewers will evaluate the clinical data and issue a determination, usually within 24 hours.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman

If your parent is being discharged to a nursing home or assisted living facility — or is already in one and facing an involuntary transfer — the New Hampshire Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a dedicated advocate for residents' rights. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about care quality, residents' rights violations, and improper discharge or eviction from facilities.

Contact the NH Long-Term Care Ombudsman at (603) 271-4375 or email [email protected]. This is a free service run through the state, and the Ombudsman can intervene directly with facility administrators on your parent's behalf.

ServiceLink Options Counselors

For families navigating longer-term decisions — Medicaid applications, the Choices for Independence waiver, or choosing between home care and facility placement — ServiceLink ADRCs provide free options counseling throughout New Hampshire. These counselors don't have the authority to override hospital decisions, but they can help you understand what programs your parent qualifies for and start the application process before discharge.

Find your local ServiceLink office at servicelink.nh.gov.

Private Patient Advocates and Geriatric Care Managers

When the free resources aren't enough — particularly for families coordinating care across state lines or managing complex medical situations — private geriatric care managers offer hands-on coordination. They can attend hospital meetings, evaluate facilities, manage the transition logistics, and serve as your on-the-ground representative.

The trade-off is cost: geriatric care managers charge private-pay rates, and their services are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid. For families with the resources, they fill a gap that no public program covers — someone whose only job is to advocate for your parent.

What to Do Right Now

If you're reading this because a discharge is happening soon:

1. Ask the hospital social worker for a written copy of the discharge plan, including every service that has been ordered, confirmed, and scheduled.
2. If the plan is inadequate, escalate to the nurse manager and put your concerns in writing.
3. If your parent is a Medicare hospital inpatient and the hospital won't budge, call Acentra Health at 1-888-319-8452 before your parent leaves the hospital and before midnight on the discharge date to file a formal appeal.
4. If your parent is going to a facility, contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman if you have concerns about the placement.

The Hospital-to-Home New Hampshire guide includes the complete advocacy framework — appeal worksheets, communication templates, and the step-by-step process for every discharge scenario families face in New Hampshire.

See more New Hampshire guides →