You need three things before leaving the hospital: the written discharge summary (ask for it — you’re entitled to it), a complete and reconciled medication list including any new prescriptions, dosing changes, and anything stopped, and at least one follow-up appointment confirmed within seven days. Don’t leave without all three.

The most important ones: What is my parent being discharged with, and what warning signs should bring us back? What medications have changed and why? What follow-up appointments have been scheduled and with whom? Is home health care, physical therapy, or skilled nursing being arranged? These are not optional questions — the answers determine whether the discharge is actually safe.

Yes, and you should. Request a patient advocate or social worker to review the discharge decision. Tell the care team directly: “I don’t believe my parent can be safely cared for at home at this level of function.” Ask what criteria are being used for the discharge and what would need to be true for a longer stay. Document your concerns and the responses you receive.

The highest-risk period for readmission is the first 30 days after discharge. The most important actions: fill all new prescriptions before leaving the hospital, keep the follow-up appointment within seven days, and have someone physically check on your parent in the first 24–48 hours at home. If home health care was ordered, confirm it is actually arriving on the schedule the hospital promised.

A discharge plan is the written summary of what happens next — medications, follow-up appointments, any equipment needed at home, and any skilled care or therapy that was ordered. It matters because the transition from hospital to home is the most dangerous window in elderly care: things fall through the cracks, medications get confused, follow-up doesn’t happen. The discharge plan is your roadmap for keeping your parent safe in that window.