Before you leave the hospital
You don't have to figure everything out tonight. Hand this page to a nurse if it's easier.
If you can, start here. Ask your loved one to sign a release of information that names you. It lets the care team talk with you. Some hospitals call it an authorization or consent to share. If they say no tonight, you can still tell the team what you've seen at home. You can ask again later.
Medicine for tonight, and until the next visit
Ask: "Do we have enough until then? Should we stop any previous medication?"
Has the prescription been sent? To which pharmacy?
A follow-up visit in the next week
Ask: "Can you book it before we go?" The first week home matters most.
Day
Time
Who
Phone
Where
Who to call if things get worse
One person from the care team, and one family member or friend.
Name
Phone
Name
Phone
Signs to watch for at home
Ask: "What would tell me things are slipping?"
A safer home for the first few weeks
Ask: "What should we put away or lock up for now, like extra medicine or firearms?"
The written discharge plan, in your bag
Ask for a paper copy. You can read it later, when you've slept.
You showed up tonight. That matters more than you know.
This is general information, not legal or medical advice.
Call or text 988, any time, day or night.
911 if someone is in danger right now.
Questions for the weeks ahead
Page 1 gets you home tonight. These help with what comes next. Ask the care team before you leave if there's time, or call the unit in the next few days.
Paying for it and picking it up
"Is this medicine covered? Can you send it to a pharmacy near us?"
Your part at home
"What will I need to do at home, especially with my loved one's medicine?"
Side effects
"Which side effects are normal, and which mean I should call someone?"
What comes after this
"Who is setting up therapy, groups, or a program, and when do they start?"
Who to call tomorrow
"Who discharged my loved one, and who can I call tomorrow with questions?"
Anything else to remember
This is hard on you too. Call or text 988 if you need someone tonight.
Asking questions isn't being difficult. It's how you take care of your loved one.
This is general information, not legal or medical advice.
- If you can, start here. Ask your loved one to sign a release of information that names you.
- It lets the care team talk with you. Some hospitals call it an authorization or consent to share.
- If they say no tonight, you can still tell the team what you've seen at home. You can ask again later.
If you have time to ask the care team, having these answers helps with the next few weeks.
Coverage and pharmacy
- Ask: 'Do we have enough until then? Should we stop any previous medication?'
- Has the prescription been sent? To which pharmacy?
- List every medication, including the dose.
- What changed, and why?
- What side effects should we watch for?
- Are the prescriptions filled, or is there enough medication until a refill?
- Pharmacy name and phone.
- Is the cost covered?
- Who keeps the medications, and where are they stored?
- Who prescribes after your loved one leaves?
- Has anyone started an SSI or SSDI application? A family member can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
- If coverage needs fixing before discharge, who at the hospital will help file an application?
- Is the follow-up visit in network?
Home safety
- Where will your loved one sleep tonight? Write the address.
- Name and phone of the person expecting them.
- Who will be with your loved one during the first days?
- Who is giving your loved one a ride home?
- If that place is not home, which options did the team contact, such as crisis residential, a group home, or a shelter?
- Is the plan for going home written in the discharge papers?
- If your loved one cannot come home, what other safe place is planned?
- What are the early warning signs for your loved one?
- Who do we call with questions that are not an emergency? Name and phone.
- Who answers medication questions before the first visit? Name and phone.
- Call or text 988, any time, day or night.
- 911 if someone is in danger right now.
- Was a written copy of the safety plan given to the family?
- Does a family member know the steps in the safety plan?
- What should we put away or lock up for now, like extra medicine or firearms?
- Is 988 saved in your phone?
Questions to ask staff
- What will I need to do at home, especially with my loved one's medicine?
- Name and phone of the hospital contact for the family.
- Did your loved one sign a release naming a family member?
- If your loved one is a minor, or has a personal representative, write that name and phone. Skip this line if it does not apply.
- Date and time of the family meeting.
- Ask them to explain it back in their own words.
- Is an interpreter needed?
- Are family concerns written in the record?
- Is the reason for discharge written in the record?
- Who do we call to appeal this discharge, and what is the deadline?
- What can the family member take on, and what can the family member not take on?
- Is a written copy of the plan in hand?
Aftercare details
The week after leaving is when many people end up back in the hospital or in crisis. A visit within 7 days is the usual standard, and the hospital should book it before anyone walks out. Telehealth counts.
- Date, time, and name of the clinician.
- Where is the visit, or is it by telehealth?
- Was the visit booked before leaving?
- Is the visit on a later day, not the day of discharge?
- How will your loved one get there?
- Were records sent to the next clinician?
- Is there a backup visit within 30 days?
- What care continues? Examples are therapy, psychiatry, peer support, a day program (IOP or PHP), or Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), a team that meets your loved one at home.
- Name and phone of that clinician or team.
- What should we do if the first visit is missed?
- If it applies, what is the plan for work, school, or the daily routine?
- Is a physical health follow-up needed?
- Is a follow-up call planned?
Legal status
Rules vary by state. These are questions to ask, not legal advice.
- Was the stay voluntary, or did a court order it?
- Are there conditions, or an outpatient treatment order? What do they require?
- Who do we call about that order? Name and phone.
Who to call tomorrow
- Who discharged my loved one, and who can I call tomorrow with questions?
- This is not a consent or legal form.
This is hard on you too. Call or text 988 if you need someone tonight.
FAQ
Q: Who is this page for?
Families. This page is not for hospital staff. Staff have their own checklist for the family meeting.
Q: What if a line is still blank?
Ask the team before you leave. If they do not know yet, write not yet and the name of the person who will find out.
Q: Does this list replace the hospital's discharge papers?
No. Ask for the written discharge plan too, and keep both.