My Next Steps

Discharge conversations

As you get ready to leave the hospital, you may feel unsure about what to expect and how you will keep getting better. The information and questions below can help you get ready to talk with your healthcare team about leaving the hospital (your discharge conversations).

Tips for your discharge conversations

• Download or print My Next Steps: Getting ready to leave the hospital guide (PDF) to help prepare for your discharge conversations. The guide has room for you to write notes and additional questions. It was made by Albertans who have lived experience with transitioning from hospital back to home.
• Have a family member, caregiver, or friend join your discharge conversations. They can join in person, by phone, or by video chat.
• Be honest with your healthcare team about what you need.
• Ask your healthcare team to answer all your questions and have them explain what you don't understand.
• Record the discharge conversations with your phone's voice recorder or the Alberta Health Services My Care Conversations app available at ahs.ca/careapp.

Questions to ask as you get ready to leave the hospital

Get ready for discharge conversations by thinking of questions you may want to ask your healthcare team. This will help you be an active participant in discharge planning conversations, and will help you feel ready and confident to go home with the right information.

Here are some examples of questions you can ask your healthcare team as you prepare to be discharged.

Going home safely

• Do I need help getting home safely?
• If I leave the hospital on a weekend, what are my care options if services are not available?
• What changes do I need to make to my everyday activities or hobbies (driving, working, social events, exercise, sex) as I heal?

My medicines

• Who will help me understand which of my medicines have been added, kept, or stopped? Where can I find this information?
• How will I get my medicine if I cannot go to a pharmacy right away or my pharmacy isn't open when I go home?
• Will I need to fill any prescriptions when I am home?
• How do I know if my insurance plan will pay for my medicine?
• What medicine is safe to take for pain when I am home?

Extra care, supplies, or equipment

• Will I need any supplies or equipment such as handrails, a walker, or medical supplies? Who can help me get these?
• Do I need home care services and supports? Why?
  • Has a member of my healthcare team sent a referral?
  • Do I need a doctor's prescription?
  • When can I expect a call from home care?
  • Whom should I contact if I have home care questions?
• Do I need community rehabilitation? If so, has a member of my healthcare team sent a referral?

Follow-up appointments and tests

• Do my family doctor, community health team, or other supports know I was in the hospital?
• When should I see my family doctor or specialist?
• What if I don't have a family doctor? How do I find one? (Visit albertafindadoctor.ca to find out if a clinic, family doctor, nurse practitioner, or team is taking patients in your area.)

Questions I may have after leaving the hospital

• Where can I get support if I am:
  • worried about doing my usual activities (dressing, bathing, eating, caring for children or pets)
  • not able to return to work or school
  • worried about my ability to drive
  • needing help to meet money, housing, food, or other basic needs
  • not able to get or pay for my medicines from the pharmacy
  • struggling with my feelings or worried about how I am doing
• Can I talk to someone about my concerns before I leave the hospital?

To see this information online and learn more, visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca/health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=custom.ab_my_next_steps_discharge_inst

For 24/7 nurse advice and general health information call Health Link at 811.

Current as of: September 03, 2024

Author: Primary Health Care, Alberta Health Services

This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.