Elderly Parent Hospital Discharge Checklist

Before your parent leaves the hospital, ask:

• What diagnosis or condition is being treated?
• What changed during the hospital stay?
• What medications changed?
• Which medications should be stopped?
• What symptoms are expected?
• What symptoms are urgent?
• Who do we call after hours?
• Are home health, therapy, or nursing visits ordered?
• What equipment is needed at home?
• Can my parent safely walk, bathe, use the bathroom, and eat?
• When is the first follow-up appointment?
• Do we have written discharge instructions?

Medication checklist

• Ask for a current medication list that clearly marks new, changed, and stopped medications.
• Confirm the next dose time for each new medication.
• Ask whether any old bottles should be removed from the home.
• Confirm the pharmacy has the prescriptions and when they can be picked up.
• Ask what side effects should prompt a call to the doctor or pharmacist.
• Choose who will set up the pill organizer for the first week.

Home setup checklist

Follow-up care checklist

• Schedule or confirm the first primary care or specialist appointment.
• Write down which tests, labs, imaging, or therapy visits are due.
• Confirm whether home health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, or wound care is ordered.
• Ask who receives test results and who calls the family if the plan changes.
• Assign one family member to own appointments and transportation.

Warning signs to clarify

Before discharge, ask the care team what is expected, what should trigger a same-day call, and what should be treated as urgent. Write their instructions in plain language.

• Fever, worsening pain, breathing trouble, chest pain, sudden weakness, or severe confusion
• Fall, near-fall, inability to walk safely, or new dizziness
• Not eating, not drinking, vomiting, diarrhea, or signs of dehydration
• Medication error, missed important dose, or severe side effect
• Wound changes, bleeding, swelling, or symptoms the discharge team specifically flagged

Family responsibilities

Generate a custom discharge plan