Ask for the address tonight
Before your loved one leaves, ask the social worker to name the exact place, the street address, and the person who is expecting them.
A plan that only says "home" or "a shelter" is not enough if nobody has agreed to open the door.
If that place is not your home
Ask which options the team contacted, such as crisis residential, a group home, or a shelter, and what each place said.
Ask them to write the plan in the discharge papers, including the address.
Medicare's hospital rule says arrangements for care after the hospital should be made before discharge, and the team should discuss that plan with your loved one or with the person representing them (42 CFR 482.43).
If you cannot take your loved one home
Say that clearly. Ask the team to name another safe place before discharge, and to write your concern in the record.
You can still share what you know, even when the hospital cannot share medical details back (HHS).
When a discharge does not feel safe, ask the team to write your concerns before your loved one leaves.
Print the checklist and fill in the address before you leave the unit.
This is general information, not legal or medical advice.
FAQ
Q: Can the hospital discharge my loved one to a shelter?
Hospitals can discharge someone who no longer needs inpatient care. Ask for the address, the person expecting them, and your concerns in the record.
Q: What if the team does not know where they will sleep?
Ask them not to finalize discharge until a place is named. Ask which options they contacted and what each place said.
Q: What if we cannot take our loved one home tonight?
Say so before discharge. Ask the team to plan a different safe place and to write that home is not available.