First 14 Days Home Kit

Start here

1. How to use this kit

Print the pages you need, fill them in during conversations with the discharge team and family members, and keep the packet somewhere easy to find during the first two weeks home.

Reminder: This kit is for organization only. Use it to prepare better questions for licensed professionals.

Discharge

2. Expanded discharge checklist

Diagnosis / condition
Medication changes
Follow-up appointments
Home health / therapy / nursing
Equipment

Activity restrictions
Diet / hydration
Wound care or special care instructions
Warning signs to clarify
After-hours contact

Medications

3. Medication-change tracker

Medication	New / changed / stopped	Dose and timing	Purpose	Starts when?	Pharmacy pickup?	Questions for doctor/pharmacist

Appointments

4. Follow-up appointment tracker

Doctor / clinic	Reason	Date / time	Who schedules?	Who drives?	Questions to ask	Notes
Primary care
Specialist
Home health / therapy
Lab / test / imaging

Family tasks

5. Family task assignment sheet

Task	Owner	Backup	Due date	Status	Notes
Pick up medications
Schedule follow-up appointments
Set up pill organizer
Confirm equipment
Prepare meals
Check bathroom safety
Arrange transportation
Contact home health
Update family
Handle insurance / paperwork
Daily check-in

Home safety

6. Home safety walkthrough

Area	What to check	Concern found?	Who handles it?	Notes
Entryway / stairs	Rails, steps, lighting, clear path inside
Bedroom	Bed height, night light, phone, clear path
Bathroom	Toilet height, shower chair, grab bars, non-slip surface
Kitchen	Simple meals, hydration, reachable supplies
Walking paths	Rugs, cords, clutter, room-to-room movement
Lighting	Night lights, hallway lights, bathroom access
Medications	Organizer, current list, old bottles removed or marked
Phone / emergency access	Numbers visible, phone charged, backup contact
Equipment	Walker, cane, oxygen, wound supplies, other ordered items
Meals and hydration	Easy foods, water, appetite concerns, help needed

First 48 hours

7. First 48 hours home plan

Arrival home

Confirm safe path inside
Set up medications
Confirm bathroom access
Confirm meals/hydration
Place emergency contacts somewhere visible
Review discharge instructions

First night

Confirm medication schedule
Watch for symptoms the care team told you to monitor
Keep phone/contact numbers nearby
Note questions for the next day

Next morning

Call if instructions are unclear
Confirm follow-up appointments
Confirm home health timing
Review family responsibilities

Daily log

8. 14-day daily care log

Day / date	Meals / hydration	Medications	Pain / symptoms	Mobility / falls	Appointments / calls	Questions / notes
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Contacts

9. Care team contact sheet

Role	Name	Phone	After-hours contact	Notes
Primary doctor
Specialist
Hospital discharge contact
Pharmacy
Home health agency
Physical therapy
Case manager / social worker
Family lead
Backup family contact

Call scripts

10. Doctor/pharmacist call scripts

Medication changes: "Hi, my parent was just discharged from the hospital and I am helping organize their care. I want to confirm which medications changed and what we should watch for."

Warning signs: "Can you help me understand which symptoms are expected, which symptoms should prompt a call, and which symptoms require urgent care?"

Follow-up care: "We are trying to make sure follow-up care is not missed. Which appointments should be scheduled first, and by when?"

Family coordination: "We are coordinating family responsibilities. Is there anything that must happen today or in the next 48 hours?"

Sibling coordination

11. What we need help with

Medication help
Appointment help
Transportation
Meals

Home setup
Paperwork
Daily check-ins
Family updates
Backup coverage

Message template: "Mom/Dad is coming home from the hospital, and I am trying to organize the first two weeks. Here are the tasks we need covered. Please pick one or tell me what you can realistically handle."

Reminder

12. You do not need to solve everything today.

Start with medications, follow-up care, home safety, warning signs to clarify, and family task ownership. Use this packet to prepare better questions for the professionals helping your parent.

Disclaimer: Family Elder Planning is for organization only. It is not medical, legal, financial, or emergency advice. For urgent symptoms or immediate safety concerns, contact emergency services or a licensed clinician.