From the moment you arrive in our care, we’ll work with you on a plan to get you home as soon as it’s right for you – because home is the best place to finish your recovery.
You can prepare yourself for going home by staying as active as possible while you are in hospital. Moving around, whether in or out of bed, helps to strengthen your muscles and keep your body strong. It will help you get better faster and also means
that you will have less chance of problems when you go home.
Tips to keep active:
- Sit up for meals, and when you have visitors, either in bed or on a chair
- Wash and dress every morning in your normal clothes
- Walk around the ward – please use your walking frame, walking stick or other mobility aid if you need to
- Move around in bed and change position often, especially if the doctor or nurse thinks that you should stay in bed.
- Ask them what exercises you can do such as moving your legs and ankles.
- Keep your mind active by reading a book, listening to music or doing a puzzle
Our aim is that you leave hospital as soon as you are clinically well enough.
If you or someone you know is getting ready to be discharged from hospital, the following checklist can make their return home as smooth as possible:
- Do they have somewhere warm and comfortable at home to recover?
- Have they enough food?
- Make sure they can get home – could you give them a lift, or will they need money for a taxi or public transport?
- Have they got clothes and shoes for their discharge?
- Make sure they have their house keys with them
- Do they have any specific medical needs that need to be organised – for example a sharps box for needles and syringes?
- Does their Care Agency need to be informed to restart their care package?
- Are any home checks or adaptations needed – for example a home fire assessment or a stair lift installation?
If you need extra help, or have any worries or concerns, please ask your doctor or nurse. Get more information about what to do during your hospital stay, and preparing for your return home on our website: Inpatients: University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust