Tips for Recovering at Home After a Hospitalization

Leaving the hospital is usually a relief, but going home doesn't mean the recovery process is over. In fact, the days and weeks following a hospital stay are often the most critical, and the most overlooked.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), roughly 1 in 10 patients are urgently readmitted to hospital within 30 days of being discharged, and a significant portion of those readmissions could have been prevented with better planning and follow-up care. A Canadian study conducted at a teaching hospital found that nearly one in four patients experienced an adverse event after discharge, with the majority involving medication-related issues.

Whether you or a loved one are returning home after surgery, illness, or injury, proper preparation and the right support can make all the difference between a smooth recovery and an unexpected trip back to the emergency room. Here's how to set yourself up for a successful recovery at home.

Prepare Your Home Before You Get There

If you're heading into the hospital for a planned procedure, use the lead-up time wisely. As HealthLink BC recommends, work with your healthcare team (including your physician, nurses, and any physiotherapist or occupational therapist) to understand exactly what your home setup should look like before you return.

Here's what to consider:

• Set up a recovery space on the main floor if possible, with your bed, phone, medications, books, and water all within arm's reach.
• Arrange for any medical equipment you may need, such as a raised toilet seat, shower stool, walker, or hospital bed. In many provinces, occupational therapists can help you access short-term equipment loans through organizations like the Canadian Red Cross.
• Walk through the home and remove fall hazards such as loose rugs, trailing cords, poor lighting, and clutter in walkways. This is especially important because falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among Canadians aged 65 and older, accounting for 85% of all seniors' injury hospitalizations.
• Stock up on easy-to-prepare, nutrient-dense foods and beverages before you go in.

If your hospital stay was unplanned, enlist family or friends to prepare your home for your arrival. For a thorough room-by-room home safety assessment, Right at Home's Fall Prevention Guide is a helpful resource to identify and address hazards before coming home.

Understand Your Discharge Plan: Don't Leave Without One

Your discharge plan is your roadmap for recovery, and you should treat it like one. Before leaving the hospital, make sure you've received a clear, written plan that covers medication instructions, wound care guidance, physical activity recommendations, dietary guidelines, follow-up appointments, and warning signs to watch for.

Ontario's Health Quality Standards on Transitions Between Hospital and Home emphasize that every patient should have a designated transition coordinator and a personalized plan developed before discharge. If you don't feel you've received one, ask for it. Hospitals are required to provide this.

Don't hesitate to ask questions. Bring a family member or friend to the discharge discussion if possible; they can act as a second set of ears and help you review the plan once you're home. If anything is unclear, now is the time to speak up, not after you've left.

Take Medication Management Seriously

Recovery often involves a complex medication schedule, and the post-discharge period is one of the riskiest times for medication errors. A study conducted at hospitals in Montreal, Quebec found that nearly half of all patients (44%) did not follow at least one medication change made at hospital discharge. Those who were non-adherent to all medication changes had a 35% higher risk of adverse events (including emergency department visits, rehospitalization, and even death) compared to patients who followed their updated prescriptions.

Here's how to stay on track:

• If your medications were changed during your stay, set aside or dispose of any outdated prescriptions at home (as advised by your doctor) to avoid dangerous mix-ups.
• Use a pill organizer and set phone alarms for each dose. For complex regimens, ask your pharmacist to prepare a blister pack.
• As the Government of Canada recommends, make a complete medication list (including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements) and review it with your pharmacist to identify potential interactions.
• Keep your pharmacy and physician's phone numbers easily accessible in case you experience unexpected side effects.

If managing medications feels overwhelming, an in-home caregiver can provide medication reminders and help with monitoring. Right at Home's companion care services include gentle reminders to follow doctor's orders and help monitoring vitals like blood pressure and blood sugar.

Don't Skip Follow-Up Care

It can be tempting to cancel that follow-up appointment when you're feeling a bit better, but post-discharge check-ins exist for a reason. CIHI data shows that readmissions are influenced not just by inpatient care quality, but by the effectiveness of care transitions and the availability of community-based follow-up programs. In other words, what happens after you leave the hospital matters just as much as what happens inside it.

Stick to your follow-up schedule, whether that means visiting your family doctor, a specialist, or a rehabilitation therapist. Follow any monitoring routines in your care plan, such as tracking blood pressure, blood sugar, or wound healing progress.

Above all, watch for early warning signs of complications: shortness of breath, new or worsening swelling, sudden confusion, persistent fever, or increasing pain. Quick action on small problems can prevent them from becoming serious setbacks that land you back in the hospital.

Protect Against Falls: Canada's Leading Cause of Senior Injury

This deserves its own section because the numbers are staggering. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and injury deaths among Canadians aged 65 and older. Each year, 20 to 30% of Canadian seniors experience at least one fall, and fall-related hospitalizations rose 47% between 2008 and 2019.

After a hospital stay, the risk of falling is even higher. You may be physically weaker, adjusting to new medications that affect balance, or dealing with reduced mobility. Seniors hospitalized for falls stay, on average, nine days longer than those hospitalized for other causes, and the direct cost of fall-related injuries among older Canadians was estimated at $5.6 billion in 2018 alone.

To reduce your risk during recovery:

• Use assistive devices (walkers, canes, grab bars) as recommended, and don't abandon them because they feel inconvenient.
• Wear proper, non-slip footwear at home. Socks on hardwood are a common culprit.
• Ensure hallways and pathways between the bedroom and bathroom are well-lit, especially at night. Nightlights are an inexpensive and effective solution.
• If you've been prescribed new medications, ask your pharmacist whether any of them may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or blood pressure changes.

For families concerned about a loved one's fall risk during recovery, having a trained caregiver in the home can provide physical assistance with mobility, transfers, and walking support, significantly reducing the risk of a fall during those vulnerable first weeks.

Tend to Your Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Healing isn't just physical. After a hospital stay, many people feel exhausted, anxious, frustrated, or isolated, especially if they live alone. This is more common than most people realize, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. The PHAC notes that falls and hospitalization among older adults can lead to negative mental health outcomes including fear of falling, loss of independence, social isolation, and depression.

If your loved one was recently hospitalized, check in regularly. Ask not just about their physical symptoms, but about how they're feeling emotionally. Encourage them to talk openly, and explore whether connecting with a counsellor or support group might help. Even a simple daily phone call or visit from a friend can have a meaningful impact on recovery.

Companionship care is one of the most underutilized supports available during recovery. Having someone to talk to, play cards with, or simply share a meal alongside can combat isolation and give recovering patients something to look forward to each day.

Don't Forget the Basics: Nutrition and Hydration

A healing body needs proper fuel. Nutritious meals and adequate hydration are essential for wound healing, immune function, and regaining strength. But when you're not feeling your best, it's surprisingly easy to skip meals, forget to drink water, or fall back on whatever is most convenient rather than what's most nourishing.

If shopping and cooking feel like too much, don't try to push through alone. Ask family or friends for help with grocery runs and meal preparation. Community programs like Meals on Wheels are available in many Canadian municipalities and can be a bridge during recovery.

In-home caregivers can also help with light meal preparation, ensuring healthy snacks and water are always accessible, and gently encouraging regular eating, something that makes a bigger difference than many people expect.

Know When to Call Your Doctor

Finally, know your warning signs and don't second-guess yourself. Signs of infection (redness, warmth, swelling, or discharge around a wound), difficulty breathing, new or worsening pain, sudden confusion, persistent nausea, or fever should all prompt a call to your healthcare provider.

Keep a written list of important phone numbers by your bed or on the fridge: your family doctor, specialist, pharmacy, and provincial health line (like Ontario's Health811 or BC's 8-1-1). Having a trusted point of contact, and knowing when to use it, can make all the difference in catching a problem early.

When Recovery Needs a Helping Hand

A 2020 survey found that 96% of older Canadians said they would do everything they could to avoid going into a long-term care facility, and 92% said they would prefer in-home care over institutional living. But wanting to recover at home and being able to do it safely are two different things, especially in the first days and weeks after a hospital discharge.

The CIHI has noted that about 1 in 10 newly admitted long-term care residents could potentially have been cared for at home with the right support. That's a powerful statistic. With the right help in place, many Canadians can recover successfully at home and avoid both readmission and premature moves to residential care.

Right at Home's Hospital to Home program was developed specifically for this transition. Trained caregivers work alongside your family and healthcare providers to support medication routines, assist with mobility, help with meals and daily tasks, and watch for changes in condition so that small issues are caught before they become serious. Whether you need a few hours of support a day or more comprehensive care, the goal is the same: to help you heal comfortably and safely, at home.