Discharge planning begins on admission to a healthcare institution. This means that the professionals that fulfill this role are looking at the medical record and speaking to the physician and healthcare team the entire tenure of the admission. They are collecting information to identify the post discharge needs of the patient. This happens with every hospitalized patient.
Families often get frustrated because it appears this process is immediate. They are at the hospital in the morning, go about their business assuming things are stable, then get a call at 5 PM telling them their family member is to be discharged that day. Crisis mode strikes! The discharge planner anticipated the needs of the discharge, but it is the physician who wrote the discharge order and did not let the family know they were planning the discharge that day. The discharge planner and family are now working at warp speed to try to find a safe discharge option.
The best way to minimize this crisis is to speak to the discharge planner daily. They are always available by telephone and can help you determine what is going to happen and when. Ask them what they think the discharge plan will require. Understand that they are not the final decision maker, but they have a lot of experience in their role and know the practice patterns of the individual physicians. They can give you a heads up and provide you with information to start looking for anticipated discharge needs so you are informed and do not panic on the day of the discharge order.
Call a geriatric care manager or company like Charism Eldercare Services that has years of experience in the care of patients through the continuum. Let them do your leg work. They know what questions to ask and have the tools to get through the confusion.