Discharge Planning

Being discharged from the hospital can be a complicated and overwhelming process. Discharge planning actually starts when you are admitted and considers your needs after the hospital stay. The WRHA Surgery Program has a multidisciplinary team who will evaluate your progress throughout your stay in hospital. The health-care team may include the following people: physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, occupational therapists and social workers.

Your health-care team will decide, with input from you and your family, the appropriate time for you to be discharged. Several things are taken into account when planning for your discharge to ensure your safety once you return home. Your family's involvement in the discharge process is very important to ensure you are able to return home safely.

Please Remember: before you call for a ride home, please speak to your nurse. They will tell you what your surgeon/physician has ordered and what must happen before you can be discharged. This gives you time to make arrangements for a ride home. It also prevents having someone wait a long time due to any delays that may occur.

Your nurse will write out your discharge and medication instructions. Once all discharge instructions have been completed and explained to you, you will be able to go home. You will be given a copy to take home with you.

Please make sure to bring all the information you are given upon discharge to your follow-up appointments.