Hospital to Home Checklist for Alabama Families

Before Your Parent Leaves the Hospital

The hours before discharge are when most critical details get lost. Nurses are busy. Discharge instructions come in a stack of papers that blend together. And you're already thinking about how to get the bedroom set up at home.

Slow down. This checklist covers what needs to happen before, during, and after you bring your parent home from an Alabama hospital.

At the Hospital: Before Discharge

Confirm the discharge plan in writing. Ask the discharge planner or case manager for a printed copy of the plan that includes: the diagnosis, what happened during the stay, medication changes, follow-up appointments, and warning signs that should trigger a return to the ER.

Complete medication reconciliation. Compare the discharge medication list against what your parent was taking before the hospital stay. Ask the pharmacist or attending nurse about every change — new drugs added, old drugs stopped, dosage adjustments. Write down the reason for each change.

Arrange follow-up appointments. The discharge plan should include a primary care visit and any specialist follow-ups your parent needs. Don't leave the hospital without confirmed dates.

Request home health referrals. If your parent needs skilled nursing visits, physical therapy, or occupational therapy at home, ask whether a physician or allowed practitioner (such as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or physician assistant) has established and certified the Plan of Care before discharge. The hospital should coordinate this directly with a Medicare-certified home health agency.

Order durable medical equipment. Hospital beds, walkers, shower chairs, oxygen — whatever the clinical team recommends must be ordered through a Medicare-certified DME supplier and delivered before your parent arrives home. Medicare Part B covers 80% of approved DME costs.

Get caregiver training. Ask the hospital for hands-on instruction for any medical tasks you'll perform at home: wound care, injection administration, catheter management, transfer techniques. If no one has offered this training, request it before signing the discharge papers.

At Home: The First 48 Hours

Set up the medication system. Fill all new prescriptions before your parent comes home if possible. Use a pill organizer, set alarms for doses, and tape the medication reconciliation list to the refrigerator where everyone can see it.

Walk the home for safety hazards. Remove throw rugs, install grab bars in the bathroom, ensure nightlights are in every hallway, and clear paths wide enough for a walker or wheelchair. If the bedroom is upstairs and your parent can't manage stairs, set up a temporary sleeping area on the main floor.

Confirm the home health schedule. Know when the first visiting nurse or therapist is coming. Have the Plan of Care accessible. Write down the agency's after-hours contact number.

Stock the essentials. Wound care supplies, incontinence products, nutritional supplements, and any prescribed equipment should be in the house before arrival. Running out to a pharmacy while your parent is home alone isn't a plan.

During the First Two Weeks

Watch for readmission warning signs. Fever, increased pain, confusion, difficulty breathing, swelling, or a wound that changes color or starts draining — these require an immediate call to the physician. Nearly one in five Medicare patients is readmitted within 30 days, and the first two weeks carry the highest risk.

Track what's working and what isn't. Keep a daily log of medications taken, symptoms observed, therapy exercises completed, and any concerns. Bring this log to the first follow-up appointment.

Contact the local Area Agency on Aging. If your parent needs ongoing personal care beyond what Medicare home health covers — help with bathing, meals, housekeeping — call Alabama's aging services helpline at 1-800-243-5463 (1-800-AGE-LINE) to ask about the Elderly and Disabled Waiver. The waiver funds non-medical care for people who meet nursing-home-level-of-care criteria.

The Printable Version

Our Alabama Hospital-to-Home Transition Guide includes a printable discharge checklist, a medication reconciliation worksheet, and a home safety audit form designed for exactly this moment.

See more Alabama guides →