While we will make your stay as comfortable as we can, we know you probably don't want to be in the hospital any longer than necessary. Our goal is to provide the care you need so that you can safely return home as soon as possible.
The checklist of action items below will help you prepare for leaving the hospital. Should you need any assistance with the action items, please connect with the clinical team:
- Ensure that transportation has been arranged to leave the hospital between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
- Ensure that follow-up appointments and contact information for each follow-up provider’s office are clear.
- Ensure contact information for community pharmacy is known for new/changed prescriptions.
- Verify if you have private insurance and/or you are eligible for coverage through the Ontario Drug Benefit or Trillium programs.
- Ask the clinical team about:
- What to watch for, what to do about rising concerns and when to seek help.
- What to do to better manage the health condition at home.
- The final medication list with changes made during hospital stay and confirm the following:
- Which medications are new, stopped, changed or continued as before my hospital stay.
- How to take my medication.
- What to watch for and do about side effects.
- Appropriate activity level regarding:
- Bathing, dressing, using the bathroom and climbing the stairs.
- Cooking, food shopping and house cleaning.
- Getting to doctor’s appointments and picking up prescription drugs.
- Pending laboratory tests or imaging, and confirmation where results will be sent.
- Training and education to complete tasks that require special skills (e.g. changing a bandage, suturing a wound). Propose that a member of the clinical team watch you perform these tasks and ask for feedback.
- If applicable, confirm the following:
- Medical equipment that will be needed at home as well as how to get it, how to install it and how to use it.
- Homecare services that will be provided at home (e.g. PSW, nursing, physiotherapy).
- Optional:
- Request to speak to a Social Worker about coping with the health condition.
If your admission was booked in advance:
- you will usually know your expected date to transition out of the hospital
- you should plan to leave the hospital between 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Please arrange for someone to bring your clothes and pick you up on your planned date/time.
If you were admitted due to an emergency or urgent situation:
We will begin planning for your expected transition from hospital shortly after you are admitted. This allows:
- you and your family to plan ahead
- your care team to help you plan for any follow-up care you may need
Before leaving, you will receive instructions including prescriptions for any new medication, if applicable. Typically, instructions are provided verbally to the patient and their caregiver including follow-up care, symptom management, medication, what to expect and when to return to hospital.
Osler's ongoing commitment to providing relevant transition information includes the rollout of standardized written instructions via a patient oriented discharge summary.
We encourage all patients to access information about their stay through the patient portal MyChart™.
Transportation
If you are having challenges finding transportation home, please tell your nurse or someone on the clinical team and they will be happy to help you. In addition, our bedside terminals provide information about bus routes and other alternative transportation options with contact information. You will find that under the hospital information menu on the bedside terminal.
Please note that patients/families are responsible for transportation costs.
If you are a new parent, please note that an infant car seat is required by law. Make sure your new baby's first drive home is a safe one!
