Going home from the hospital after a serious car crash
A trauma surgeon and a discharge nurse on making a safe plan for home
Hearing that you can go home may bring relief and fear at once. It means the team expects your care to go on outside the hospital. It is no sign that every injury has healed. A trauma surgeon wants you to know what still needs protecting. A discharge nurse wants the plan to work in the home you really live in. Before you leave, be sure you can explain the next steps in your own words. [1, 2]
Find out what happened and what comes next
Ask for a plain language list of your injuries, any procedures you had and problems that still need checking. Ask if any test results are still pending. Find out who will contact you about them. A discharge summary can come in handy at later appointments. Make sure it lists the right phone number for questions after hours. [1, 3]
Confirm which limits apply right now. Can you climb stairs, put weight on an injured leg or lift a child? What about showering, driving or going back to work? If an instruction says “as tolerated,” ask what signs mean you should slow down or call. Have the team write down your restrictions and when they’ll be reviewed. [1, 3]
Match up every medicine
Set the medicines you took before the crash next to your new list. Ask a nurse, pharmacist or the prescribing clinician to mark which ones to keep, stop or change. Include nonprescription pain relievers, supplements and blood thinners. For each new drug, ask what it’s for, the dose and when to take it. Also ask about major side effects and what to do if you miss a dose. Don’t guess based on an old bottle. [1, 2, 3]
If you can’t get a prescription today, tell the team before you leave. Ask whether a dose is due tonight and what to do if the pharmacy is closed. A plan on paper won’t work yet if it depends on medicine you can’t get. [2]
Ask, too, who will get your hospital records. Your primary care office, surgeon and therapist may each expect someone else to set up follow up care. When that happens, an important step can slip through the cracks. Write down which office is in charge of each appointment. A set date works better than a vague instruction to “follow up soon.” [1, 3]
Test the plan for home before you leave
Picture your first evening at home as it will really be. Who will help you get inside, reach the bathroom, eat and get into bed? Do you need a walker, shower chair, dressing supplies or a ride to your next visit? Ask staff to let you practice any new wound task or unfamiliar transfer. A transfer is a move from one seat or surface to another. A caregiver who will help should hear the instructions and show they can do the task too. [1, 2, 3]
- What has to be ready before I get home?
- Which appointment is already booked, and who books the rest?
- Who do I call tonight if a medicine, a device or my wound plan falls through?
If your home setup isn’t safe, say so plainly. Ask the discharge planner about home services, equipment or another place to receive care. Going home is just one of the places you might go after discharge. [1, 3]
On your first evening, put your medicine list and phone numbers within reach. An order for supplies and equipment isn’t the same as having them, so check that they’re in your home. If a promised service doesn’t show up, call your discharge contact. Tell them which task you can’t do safely. An unfilled equipment order or a missed home visit can change whether the plan is safe. [1, 2]
Learn which symptoms mean call and which mean go
Ask the team to mark which symptoms mean you should call the clinic today and which need emergency care. After surgery, growing redness, pain or drainage, or a fever, may signal infection. A hospital stay, surgery and moving less can also raise your risk of blood clots. New swelling or pain in just one arm or leg needs a prompt checkup. Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting needs emergency help. Your own injuries may come with other warning signs. [4, 5]
Take home one page that covers it all
Sources and further reading
- 1MedlinePlus leaving the hospital
- 2AHRQ taking care of myself
- 3Medicare discharge checklist
- 4CDC surgical site infections
- 5CDC blood clots after hospital care
General U.S. education based on trauma surgery and nursing. The plan for your injuries comes from your own discharge instructions and care team.
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Guides, self-checks and articles for drivers, parents of new drivers, and families recovering after a crash.
