1. Before you leave the hospital
Ask the doctor or ward nurse for these. Take photos of every page on your phone.
- The discharge summary. It lists the diagnosis, the treatment given, and the plan.
- A clear medicine list: each medicine, the dose, the times, and for how many days. Ask which old medicines to stop.
- Injections or drips to continue at home, with the prescription.
- Diet advice: normal, soft, diabetic, low-salt, or tube feeding.
- Wound, drain, catheter or tube care instructions, and when stitches come out.
- The follow-up date, and which tests to do before it.
- A phone number to call if there is a problem.
If you've booked a nurse, send us the discharge summary on WhatsApp before you leave the hospital. The nurse can then arrive prepared, sometimes on the same day.
2. Setting up the room at home
- Bed: for a bedridden patient, a hospital bed with side rails makes turning, feeding and toileting much safer. Your doctor may also suggest an air mattress to prevent bedsores.
- Equipment the doctor advised, such as an oxygen concentrator, suction machine, BP monitor, glucometer or wheelchair. Rent or buy it before discharge if you can.
- Clear the path between bed and bathroom: remove loose rugs and wires, and add a night light.
- Bathroom: a grab bar, a non-slip mat and a shower chair prevent falls.
- One place for all medicines, with a simple daily chart next to them.
3. The first 24 hours
This is when mistakes are most likely: missed or doubled medicines, a fall on the way to the toilet, or a drip timing that slips. In the first day:
- Match every medicine at home to the discharge list. Put away anything the doctor stopped.
- Write down BP, pulse, temperature and sugar (if diabetic) morning and evening.
- Help the patient every time they get up. Don't let them walk alone yet.
- Keep them drinking water, unless the doctor has limited fluids.
- Keep the doctor's and our number where everyone in the house can see it.
4. Do you need a 24-hour nurse?
A 24-hour home nurse lives in and gives hospital-style care at home. It's usually worth it if the patient:
- Has just come out of ICU or a major operation
- Is on oxygen, suction, or a BiPAP / CPAP machine
- Has a feeding tube, catheter or tracheostomy
- Is bedridden after a stroke, or seriously ill
- Needs many medicines and injections spread through the day and night
If the patient is stable and mainly needs help with daily living, a 24-hour caretaker plus short nursing visits for dressings or injections is often enough, and costs less. Our nurses are qualified GNM / ANM nurses, background checked, and you see their profile before they start.
Many patients need a nurse for the first week or two, then only a caretaker. Review the plan regularly so the care matches how the patient is doing.
5. Red flags: when to go back to hospital
- Difficulty breathing, or oxygen level falling
- Chest pain, or a new weakness of the face, arm or leg
- Confusion, extreme drowsiness, or a fit
- Bleeding that won't stop, or vomiting blood
- High fever with shivering, or a wound that is red, swollen and smelling
- No urine for many hours, or a blocked catheter that can't be fixed
A good home nurse will spot many of these early and tell you when the patient needs to be seen by a doctor.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Always follow the advice in your discharge summary and from your doctor. In a medical emergency, call 108.