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When your doctor determines you are ready to leave the hospital, a discharge order will be written. You will be given instructions and other information about post-hospital care. It’s very important that you fully understand this information and keep it for reference in the “Discharge Instructions & Prescriptions” pocket of this folder. If you have questions about diet, activity, need for follow-up care or other matters, do not hesitate to ask. If you need further help with planning your discharge, please contact Care Management by dialing 7408 on any hospital phone.
You may also receive prescriptions for new medication to place in the “Discharge Instructions & Prescriptions” pocket of this folder. It is important to have these new prescriptions filled at your home pharmacy to ensure that they retain your complete medication profile, reducing the risk of dangerous drug interactions. It is also very important that your doctor discusses and lists the medications you are to continue taking. Do not assume that you will continue to take the same medications you were on before your hospital stay. Be sure to clarify this before leaving the hospital.
If you didn’t receive a yellow wallet card with a listing of all your current medications, please ask your nurse. Keep this record with you at all times. Make sure your physician reviews it and updates it with each office visit. This is particularly important if more than one physician is involved in your healthcare.
Once your physician has approved your dismissal and your nurse has reviewed your discharge instructions with you, you are free to leave. You may want to make arrangements with a family member or friend to help collect all of your belongings. If you have items stored in the hospital safe, call Admissions at 7980 from a hospital phone. If you cannot leave at this time, please notify your nurse so alternate arrangements can be made. Patients should be aware that insurance companies often do not compensate policy holders for extra time spent in their hospital rooms.