We want to make your child’s transition from hospital to home as smooth as possible. This is why we begin planning your child’s discharge the day of admission. You will participate in discharge planning and learn about continuing care your child may need at home

Discharge Planning

If your child’s hospital stay is short and uncomplicated, discharge planning is a simple process. The health care team will plan with you when your child will go home and what you will need. If the stay is longer or more complex, a nurse case manager or nurse discharge coordinator will help make arrangements for home care. If your child needs medications at home, you may have prescriptions filled at your local pharmacy or at the hospital. Your provider can send the prescriptions to the Arcade Pharmacy on the Main loop across from Balducci's for you to pick up at the hospital before discharge.

If you need a visiting nurse, home health care or special equipment to help in recovery, your case manager/discharge coordinator can help you. 

Please see our parent-to-parent discharge checklist, created by parents whose children have been hospitalized, to help you go home easier.

Download our discharge checklist. 

The Day of Discharge

You will need the following at discharge:

• Clothes and shoes for your child
• An infant/child car seat
• Special equipment your child may need

At home, you may need the following:

• Soup
• Popsicles
• Soft drinks
• Juice
• Aspirin-free pain relief
• Children’s books, especially books about hospitals and doctors