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Discharge planners, home health staff, senior centers and care managers: this page is meant to be printed and handed to families. Print as many as you like, no permission or attribution needed. There is a blank line at the top for your name or your organization's. It fits on two sheets of letter paper.
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The first 72 hours at home

A checklist for families bringing someone home from the hospital.

Given to you by

1. Before you leave the hospital, ask for these

  • Written discharge instructions — and the name of a person you can call with questions.
  • A complete medication list that says what each medicine is for, and which medicines to stop taking.
  • Every follow-up appointment: who, when, where. Ask to have them booked before you leave.
  • The warning signs to watch for, and which number to call for each one.
  • Any equipment or supplies you'll need — walker, commode, dressings, oxygen — and who delivers them.
  • A copy of the discharge summary. Ask for it even if nobody offers.

If you are told something verbally, write it down while the person is still in the room. Nobody remembers discharge instructions afterwards — it is not a failing, it is the day you are having.

2. Write these numbers down now

Main doctor or care team
After-hours / nurse line
Pharmacy
Home health agency
First follow-up appointment
Who else in the family to call

3. Make one medication list — and only one

Gather every medicine into one place: new prescriptions, the ones from before the hospital, over-the-counter pills, vitamins, eye drops, inhalers, patches and creams.

A hospital stay almost always changes medicines. Something was started, something was stopped, a dose was changed. The most common serious problem in the first week home is taking both the old and the new version of the same medicine.

  • Throw nothing away until someone has checked it — but separate "stopped" medicines into a different bag so they can't be taken by mistake.
  • If two bottles look like the same drug under different names, don't guess. Call the pharmacist. They will take the call, and it costs nothing.
  • Bring the actual bottles, not just the list, to the first follow-up appointment.

4. The first day or two at home

  • Pick one place for all the paperwork, and keep it there.
  • Fill the new prescriptions the same day. If the cost is a problem, say so out loud to the pharmacist — there are usually options, but only if you ask.
  • Set out the first few days of doses in a pill organizer or labeled cups.
  • Walk the path from the bed to the bathroom. Clear it. Add a light that stays on at night.
  • Decide who is checking in and when, and write it where everyone can see it.
  • Notice what is normal now — eating, drinking, urinating, sleeping, mood — so that you'll notice a change.

5. Call the care team if you see

  • New or worse confusion, much more sleepiness than usual, or a change in personality.
  • A fever, or a wound or surgical site that is red, warm, swollen, or draining.
  • Little or no urine for many hours.
  • Vomiting, or not being able to keep medicine down.
  • New or worse shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, or sudden weight gain.
  • A fall — even one that seems fine afterwards.
  • Anything that makes you think this isn't right. You know this person better than the hospital does.

Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, drooping or weakness on one side, trouble speaking, or if you cannot wake them.

This handout is general information to help families organize, not medical advice. It cannot tell you what is right for one person. Always follow the instructions from the patient's own care team, and call them when something seems wrong. Free to print and share. relaynest.app/handout

Common questions

Is this discharge checklist free to print and share?

Yes. Print as many as you like, with no permission or attribution needed. It is designed to be handed to families by discharge planners, home health staff, senior centers and care managers, and there is a blank line at the top for your name or your organization’s.

How do I get a PDF of the checklist?

Use your browser’s print function and choose "Save as PDF" as the destination. The page is laid out for letter paper and prints to two sheets, with the site navigation and footer removed automatically.

What does the checklist cover?

What to ask before leaving the hospital, a fill-in block for the care team, pharmacy and follow-up numbers, how to build one medication list, what to do in the first day or two at home, and which symptoms mean call the care team rather than 911.