Planning to Leave the Hospital
You are now ready to go leave the hospital after your surgery. There are many things you may be thinking about. This part of the guide gives you information that you can use to plan your discharge including:
- How to prepare
- How to take care of yourself after leaving the hospital
- Who can help you at home
- Where to find support
- Your follow-up visit
Going Home
Review our videos on planning to go home after being in hospital:
Preparing to leave the hospital
Your health care team will let you know when you can leave the hospital.
You will leave the hospital between 9:00 am and 11:00 am.
You must arrange for someone to take you to your next location or residence. If you have any questions, talk with your surgeon, nurse or social worker before you go.
Before you leave the hospital, the nurse will give you instructions about:
- your recovery from your surgery
- your medications
- your follow-up appointment
If you are not given a follow-up appointment, please call your surgeon's office.
We will give you a prescription for any medications you need. There is a retail pharmacy at each of our hospitals. Talk to the pharmacist on your unit for more information.
Remember:
You might not be able to drive or take part in your usual activities for a while after your surgery. Talk to your surgeon about this.
Taking Care of Myself
What do I need to do?
Your health care team will go over everything you need to know or do when you leave the hospital. They will write this information down for you or give you a special sheet with your instructions before you leave.
They may also ask you to show them that you are able to do new skills, like caring for your incision. This is a good time to ask any questions that you may have and to tell your health care team about your worries and needs. We will do everything we can to help you find the right services and supports that will help you manage after your surgery.
Who can help me?
You may need help after your surgery. If you qualify, your nurse will call the Home and Community Care Coordinator to arrange services like nursing care, physiotherapy, or a social worker if you need them. This will be done before you go home.
My Follow-Up Visit
It is important that you come back to your surgeon's office for your follow-up visit, if needed.
We want to make sure that:
- You are recovering well from your surgery
- Your incision is healing
- You are managing your pain
- You have the support you need to continue to get better
