Going Home.
We Go With You.

• Remove all loose rugs, cords, and clutter from walkways and high-traffic areas
• Install grab bars in the bathroom, near the toilet, and in the shower or tub
• Ensure adequate lighting in all rooms, hallways, and staircases — use nightlights
• Use a shower chair or tub transfer bench to prevent slipping while bathing
• Keep a phone or medical alert device within reach at all times, including at night
• Wear non-slip footwear whenever walking — no bare feet or socks on smooth floors
• Consider moving the bedroom to the ground floor to avoid stair use during recovery
• Ask your Assisted nurse for a full home safety evaluation on the first visit

• Keep a complete, updated medication list — including dosages and prescribing physician — posted visibly at home
• Use a weekly pill organizer to track daily doses and avoid missed or double doses
• Never adjust, skip, or stop a medication without physician approval
• Know the most important side effects of each new medication prescribed at discharge
• Dispose of unused or expired opioid pain medications at an official take-back site immediately
• Tell your nurse about every supplement, vitamin, and over-the-counter medication you take
• If you are unsure whether you have taken a dose, do not double up — contact your nurse or pharmacist

Call 911 immediately — do not wait — for any of the following:

• Chest pain, tightness, or pressure lasting more than a few minutes
• Sudden shortness of breath at rest or with minimal activity
• Signs of stroke — use FAST: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911
• Fever over 101.5°F accompanied by wound redness, swelling, or drainage
• Uncontrolled bleeding or a wound that has opened or separated
• A fall with suspected head injury, loss of consciousness, or inability to get up
• Sudden severe pain that is new or significantly different from your usual pain
• Unresponsive or difficulty waking a patient

Call your Assisted nurse for concerns that are not immediately life-threatening. Your 24/7 nurse line number is on your care plan.

• Follow all physician-prescribed dietary restrictions precisely — especially sodium, fluid, and fiber limits
• Prioritize protein at every meal to support wound healing and muscle rebuilding
• Stay well hydrated unless your physician has ordered a fluid restriction
• If appetite is poor, try small, frequent meals every 2–3 hours rather than three large ones
• Avoid alcohol entirely while taking antibiotics, blood thinners, or narcotic pain medications
• Report significant unintentional weight changes — gain or loss — to your nurse promptly
• Ask your nurse about nutritional supplements if you are unable to eat adequate meals

• Follow your physician's activity restrictions precisely — do not push beyond them without clearance
• Take short, gentle walks as tolerated to improve circulation and prevent blood clots
• Rest between activities — fatigue after hospitalization is normal and expected
• Do not drive a vehicle while taking narcotic or sedating pain medications
• Complete all prescribed physical and occupational therapy exercises daily, even on good days
• Avoid heavy lifting (typically over 5–10 lbs) until your physician specifically clears you
• Report any new or worsening shortness of breath with activity to your nurse immediately

• Feeling anxious, sad, or overwhelmed in the first days and weeks at home is completely normal
• Talk openly with your Assisted nurse and care team — they are trained to support emotional health too
• Accept help from family and friends rather than trying to manage everything independently
• Stay socially connected — phone calls, visits, and video chats all reduce isolation-related decline
• Ask your medical social worker about depression screening — post-hospitalization depression is common and very treatable
• Ask about local and online support groups for your specific diagnosis
• Family caregivers: ask your nurse about respite care options so you can rest too