Before Bringing Your Parent Home from Hospital: 12 Questions to Ask the Doctor and Nurse, and How to Prepare the Home for the First Night

Preparing a parent to come home from hospital goes smoothly when you start by asking the care team 12 questions before discharge: which symptoms mean going back to hospital, new medicines and those to stop, the follow-up date, food, walking and restrictions, equipment needed, special care tasks the family must practise, and who to call out of hours. Then collect the treatment summary and medicine list, get the bedroom, walkway and bathroom ready within 48 hours before the return, and decide in advance whether someone needs to stay up all of the first night.

The most confusing moment for families is often not the hospital stay itself, but the day the doctor says, "You can go home tomorrow." Everything moves quickly. The nurse explains medicines and care while the son or daughter is sorting out the bill and finding transport. Back home in the evening, they realise they forgot to ask which old medicines to stop, or who to call if their parent has a fever at 2 a.m. This guide sets out what to ask, what to collect and what to prepare, in the order it actually happens, from before leaving hospital to the first 7 days at home.

Quick answer

• Ask the care team 12 questions and write the answers in one notebook; if possible, the person who will actually provide care at home should be the one listening
• Collect 5 things to take home: the treatment summary, the medicine list, the appointment card, written care instructions and the ward's phone number
• Prepare the home within 48 hours before the return: move the bedroom downstairs if stairs are hard, clear walkways, set up the bathroom and add night lights
• Special care tasks such as a feeding tube, urinary catheter or wound must be practised hands-on in front of a nurse before going home, not just watched
• Someone should stay up all of the first night if your parent is confused, needs the toilet at night, is unsteady on their feet or needs turning
• In the first 7 days, watch for new confusion, eating and drinking, toileting, fever, dizziness on standing and skin at pressure points

1. What to ask the doctor before discharge: 12 questions that need answers

Ask about the things your family will have to decide alone once home: which symptoms mean going back to hospital, medicines, daily living, special care tasks and who to contact. Write your questions down before discharge day, then ask the doctor or nurse for time to go through them all before your parent leaves.

Symptoms and medicines

1. Which symptoms mean going straight back to hospital, and which can wait for a phone call? Ask the doctor for examples specific to your parent's condition and write them as 2 separate lists
2. Which medicines are new, and which old ones should be stopped or changed? Bring all the medicines from home for the nurse or pharmacist to check; it is clearer than remembering names
3. When should each medicine be taken, what if one is missed, and which side effects should we watch for? Especially medicines that cause drowsiness or dizziness, as they raise the risk of falls
4. When is the next appointment, and do we need fasting, blood tests or other preparation? Also ask how to reschedule if you cannot make it

Daily living

1. What can they eat, what should they avoid, and is fluid restricted? Ask whether food needs to be puréed or thickened, or whether they must sit upright to eat
2. How much can they walk alone, do they need someone to steady them, and which movements are off-limits? For example no bending, no lifting, or no weight on one leg
3. When can they bathe, and can the wound or any tube get wet? Also ask which areas of skin need special attention
4. Should rehabilitation continue? For example physiotherapy, and if so, when and where it should start

Care tasks and contacts

1. What equipment must be at home before the return? For example an adjustable bed, wheelchair, commode chair or oxygen concentrator, and if oxygen is needed, what flow rate and at what times
2. Who will teach any special care task, and when can we practise it hands-on? For example tube feeding, catheter care, dressing a simple shallow wound or insulin injections
3. Who do we call out of hours, and on what number? The ward, the emergency department, or the hospital's home-visit team if there is one
4. Does our parent need someone with them at all times, and does someone need to stay up at night? The answer helps you plan care realistically

Tip: ask permission to record the explanation or ask the nurse to write the instructions down, and make sure the person who will actually care for your parent at home is the one listening. If you have already hired a caregiver, let them hear or read the same instructions.

2. Documents to take home

These documents let whoever cares for your parent at home, a doctor elsewhere or emergency staff understand their history straight away. Check you have them all before leaving the ward.

• Treatment summary or discharge summary, stating why your parent was admitted and what treatment they received
• List of medicines to continue, with times and how to take them, plus the medicines to stop
• Appointment card, with any preparation needed
• Written care instructions, such as wound care, restrictions and symptoms that mean coming back
• A medical certificate from the hospital if the family needs it for work leave or for your parent's insurance — it is easier to request on discharge day than to come back later
• Phone numbers for the ward and the emergency department

Photograph every page and keep the photos on each family member's phone, and keep the originals in one folder by the bed. On a day when you need to call an ambulance or go to another hospital, this folder helps a great deal.

3. What to prepare before your parent comes home: the home, 48 hours ahead

Have the home ready at least 2 days before the return, because some equipment needs delivery time and some needs a trial run. The order of priority is the bed, the walkway, the bathroom and night lighting.

Bedroom

• Move the bedroom downstairs temporarily if stairs are difficult or the doctor has limited walking
• Choose a bed with adjustable height, so your parent can sit with feet flat on the floor and the carer does not have to bend much. If they will spend most of the time in bed, an electric bed with a raising head section helps with eating and breathing
• Position the bed so both sides are accessible, making turning and diaper changes easier
• Keep frequently used items within reach: water, glasses, phone and a call bell

If the bed has side rails, read about the pros and cons first in bed rails and preventing falls from bed.

Walkway and bathroom

• Remove rugs, cables and clutter that could cause trips between the bed and the bathroom
• Fit grab rails in the bathroom, add non-slip mats and have a shower chair ready
• If the bathroom is far or narrow, put a commode or bedpan beside the bed for night-time
• Have well-fitting shoes with non-slip soles ready

Night lighting and supplies

• Install night lights from the bed to the bathroom, or a bedside lamp that is easy to switch on
• Prepare the first set of supplies: diapers or pads, gloves, a pill organiser, a thermometer and soft food your parent can eat
• If an oxygen concentrator or other electrical equipment is needed, check the socket and position before the return

A full equipment list by priority, plus first-month budgeting, is in the guide to caring for a bedridden parent at home. Beds and wheelchairs for rent, delivered, set up and demonstrated at home, are on the equipment rental page.

4. Discharge day: planning the journey home

Agree a clear departure time with the ward, because collecting medicines and settling the bill often take longer than expected and your parent may tire from waiting.

• Can your parent sit in a car? If they can sit up and swivel into the seat, the family car is fine. If they cannot balance sitting up, must lie down throughout, or need oxygen on the way, ask the care team whether an ambulance is advisable
• How many helpers? At least one person to drive and another to sit with your parent
• Pack the car with a light blanket, water, a sick bag, absorbent pads and any medicines due during the day
• On arrival, let your parent rest in bed or in a chair with a backrest first; do not take them on a tour of the house

If nobody can take time off to collect them, KIN HomeCare can provide a caregiver who stays with your parent the whole way, plus ambulance transport (charged separately); tell our staff in advance that it is a discharge day so the pick-up time and place can be arranged. Details are on the hospital escort and sitter service page.

5. The first night home: does someone need to stay up all night?

Not in every home, but someone should stay up all night if any of the points below apply. The first night is risky because your parent is still weak from the hospital stay, some medicines have only just started, and sudden confusion, which is common in older people who have been in hospital, often gets worse at night.

Signs someone should stay up on the first night

• Your parent is confused, does not know the time or place, or becomes more confused in the evening
• They need the toilet often at night, especially after starting a diuretic or sleeping medicine
• They are unsteady on their feet, have fallen before or have just had surgery
• They cannot move themselves and need turning
• They have a feeding tube, urinary catheter or oxygen tubing that could come loose or get tangled
• The only other person at home is an elderly spouse or someone with their own health problems

What the person on duty should do

• Have your parent sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing; if they feel dizzy, sit or lie back down first, because a drop in blood pressure on changing position can cause a fall
• Steady them every time they get up for the toilet, and keep the night light on
• Give medicines at the times on the list and record each one given
• Watch their breathing, confusion and toileting, and note anything unusual with the time

If family members have to work the next day and there is no one to take turns, hiring a night-shift caregiver (20:00–08:00) for the first week keeps your parent safe and lets the household sleep. Note that with a 24-hour live-in caregiver, the caregiver rests when your parent rests; if someone must genuinely stay awake all night, you need a dedicated 12-hour night shift.

6. The first 7 days at home: what to watch

The first week is when the family needs to observe most closely. Write in the notebook every day, and if you see any of the signs below, call the ward or the treating doctor the same day rather than waiting for the appointment — especially new confusion, passing very little or no urine, or several days without a bowel movement together with a swollen, tight abdomen. For severe symptoms, see the next section.

• New confusion: drowsiness or muddled speech beyond how they were before admission
• Eating and drinking: eating less and less, or coughing and choking when swallowing
• Toileting: passing much less urine, or no bowel movement for several days
• Fever and wounds: a wound that is swollen, red or oozing pus, or a fever
• Getting up and walking: dizziness on standing, legs weaker than before, or near-falls
• Skin at pressure points: the tailbone, hips and heels, with red patches that do not fade when pressed
• Medicines: is every medicine on the list being taken, and have any old medicines slipped back in?

Many older adults come home unable to get up or walking less than before admission. Read about why, and how to start rebuilding strength, in older adults who can't walk after a hospital stay. To keep multiple medicines straight, see a home medication system for older adults.

Symptoms that mean calling 1669 or going to hospital immediately

• Unconscious, unresponsive or not breathing
• Rapid breathing, severe breathlessness or noisy, obstructed breathing
• Increasing drowsiness, sweating and cold skin
• Sudden, severe chest pain
• Weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech or continuous seizures
• Sudden confusion

Calling 1669 is free, 24 hours a day. If the hospital's triage confirms a critical emergency, patients under any health coverage can be treated at the nearest hospital without paying until the critical condition has passed or for up to 72 hours; after that, their own coverage applies.

Common mistakes families make

• Having someone who won't provide the care listen to the instructions. Details get lost in the retelling. The person caring at home should listen directly, or ask for written instructions
• Continuing old medicines at home alongside the new ones. Some may be medicines the doctor has stopped. Separate old medicines and have a nurse or pharmacist check them
• Watching a nurse dress a wound or give a tube feed only once. At home you then lack confidence. Ask to practise at least once in front of the nurse
• Setting up the bed and equipment after your parent is already home. The first night is then spent on the old mattress they struggle to get up from. Have everything ready before the return
• Assuming confusion is just old age. Confusion that comes on suddenly is not a normal part of ageing and must be reported to the doctor
• One child staying up alone for several nights in a row and then going to work. A sleep-deprived watcher makes mistakes easily; share shifts from the first night

When to bring in a professional team

Many families manage the homecoming themselves with good preparation. But if nobody can take time off to collect your parent, nobody can watch at night, or your parent needs care the family does not yet feel confident giving, the first week is when professional help is most worthwhile, because both your parent and the household are adjusting.

• Hospital escort and collection: caregiver fee THB 1,800 for 8 hours, collecting from home or hospital and staying with your parent until they are home; THB 200 per extra hour. Transport is charged separately; a KIN ambulance starts at THB 2,000 depending on distance. Medical fees, medicines and parking are not included. The same service can be used on follow-up days
• Night-shift caregiver (20:00–08:00): THB 1,800 per day, minimum 3 days, suited to the first nights when someone needs to stay awake to help with the toilet, turning and observation. For all-day live-in care, the 24-hour shift is THB 2,500 per day, or a week costs THB 12,000 (12-hour shift) or THB 16,000 (24-hour shift). See elderly care at home
• Nurse home visit: THB 1,800 per visit to review medicines, assess skin and wounds, and teach care in your actual home. Nursing procedures include changing a nasogastric feeding tube (THB 1,600) and changing a urinary catheter (THB 2,200)
• Bed and wheelchair rental, delivered before the return: electric bed set with mattress from THB 4,500 per month; wheelchair THB 900 per day, THB 1,600 per week or THB 3,000 per month. Delivery in Bangkok and nearby provinces is THB 1,200 per trip, free for rentals of 3 months or more

Frequently asked questions

What should I ask the doctor before my parent leaves hospital?

Ask about at least 5 things: symptoms that mean coming back to hospital, new medicines and those to stop, the next appointment, restrictions on eating and movement, and an out-of-hours contact number. If there is a special care task such as a feeding tube or wound, ask to practise it hands-on before going home.

What do I need to prepare when a patient comes home from hospital?

A bed that is easy to get up from, a downstairs bedroom if stairs are hard, a clear path to the bathroom, grab rails and non-slip mats, night lights, and a first set of medicines, diapers and supplies ready before the return.

How many days ahead should I prepare the home?

Have it ready at least 48 hours before the return, because a bed or wheelchair may need delivery, and you should practise adjusting the bed or unfolding the wheelchair before the actual day.

Does someone need to watch my parent on the first night home?

Yes, if your parent is confused, needs the toilet at night, is unsteady, needs turning, or has tubes or oxygen. If they manage well on their own and none of these apply, someone sleeping in the next room with a call bell may be enough.

What if nobody can collect my parent from hospital?

You can use a hospital escort service. KIN HomeCare charges a caregiver fee of THB 1,800 for 8 hours, with transport charged separately. If your parent must lie down for the journey or needs oxygen, ask the care team first whether an ambulance is advisable.

Is it normal for my parent to be confused at night after coming home?

Sudden confusion is common in older people after a hospital stay and often worse at night, but it is not something to simply wait out. If confusion comes on suddenly, contact a doctor or go to hospital, because it can be caused by infection, medicines, dehydration or other problems.

Talk to the KIN HomeCare team

If the doctor has just said your parent can go home and you are not sure what help or equipment you need, call or message us on LINE to describe the situation. We can help you plan from collection day and the first night through to the first week at home.

• Hospital escort, home care, nursing and equipment rental: 061-881-9399 (+66 61 881 9399)
• Home physiotherapy: 095-767-6307 (+66 95 767 6307)
• LINE @KINHOMECARE
• Free consultation: we help you assess which service fits; home care nationwide, usually starting within 2–3 days. If discharge is close, let us know as early as possible so we can schedule

This information is general guidance for families and does not replace advice from your parent's doctor.

Prepared by the KIN HomeCare team · Prices as of September 2026; please confirm with our staff before booking.