Hospital Discharge, Part II

What are the options when it’s time to leave the hospital? …

Here are some key questions to ask the doctor, social worker or care manager when discussing nursing home care:

• What are the goals of care that we should hope for?

• What placement options are available?

• How well will each option achieve the desired goal?

• Are there risks associated with any of the options?

• Who will provide the medical care to my relative?

• How long will they stay at the facility?

• What are the costs and will insurance cover any of them?

Once you find a facility that looks good the next step is to understand its staffing, philosophy and user friendliness. Questions you might ask might include:

• How far is it away, and will family and friends be inclined to visit?

• Is there a religious or other philosophy that is acceptable?

• Are there rules that will keep the patient from doing things they value?

• What is known about the institution’s track record with quality of care?

• Will my hospital doctor talk directly to their doctor in order to minimize confusion at the time of transfer?