The key to successful home care is planning. Problems have to be anticipated. Changes might have to be made in the way your home is organized. You might have to buy or rent special equipment and work out the routines necessary for proper care. All this may seem like a lot of work, maybe even too much of a burden. Yet a comfortable and workable home care environment can be devised. And it can be a helpful step to recovery.
Discharge Planning Once you, your doctor and others make the decision to go home, you should be able to call on the services of a discharge planner. This planner—who may be a medical social worker, public health nurse or discharge coordinator—will help define your needs and match them with the resources available in your community.
Training Depending on the facility, you, your family and any other potential caregivers might be able to take advantage of training programs provided by many hospitals. These programs, mostly taught by nurses, are designed to help you and your personal support team become more competent and comfortable dealing with some of the medical aspects of your care.
Training, initiated in hospital, can be carried on by visiting community nurses in your home until you and/or your family are comfortable providing all or part of the care yourselves. The nurse will often remain involved to supervise and act as a support and resource to patient and caregivers for as long as required.
