Mom has major surgery on Tuesday, and then is discharged and sent home on Friday. Though it may seem severe, it happens all the time. Procedures that once kept patients in the hospital for several days, now often involve only a one or two-night hospital stay. Regardless of the forces driving this trend, the end result is undeniable. People are being sent home from hospitals “quicker and sicker” than was the practice several years ago.

Families often face this dilemma – feeling inadequately prepared for the realities of their loved one’s transition from hospital to home. Most family members have full-time jobs and small children at home to tend to, which makes this even more difficult. To help in the planning process, here are a few post-hospital concerns that families need to be prepared to monitor. Continue reading →