A hospital stay can change everything in a matter of hours.

Sometimes you have time to prepare. A procedure or surgery has been scheduled, and you know the date.

Other times, there is no preparation at all.

A fall. A sudden illness. A concerning symptom. A trip to the emergency room.

And suddenly you're trying to remember medications, insurance information, doctors' names, medical history, and everything else while sitting in a hospital waiting room.

If you're helping care for someone you love, preparation can make those moments a little easier.

You don't need to predict everything that might happen.

You simply want to have the important information, questions, and essentials ready when you need them.

1. Keep Important Medical Information Together

Before a hospital stay—planned or unexpected—it's helpful to have important medical information in one accessible place.

Consider keeping:

• A current medication list
• Medication allergies and other known allergies
• Major diagnoses and health conditions
• Primary care provider information
• Specialist information
• Pharmacy information
• Insurance information
• Emergency contacts
• Advance directives or other important healthcare documents, when applicable

The National Institute on Aging recommends having important information such as medications, insurance cards, healthcare provider contacts, and advance directives available when preparing for a hospital visit.

If you already created a caregiving binder or digital health-information system, this is exactly the kind of situation it can help with.

You shouldn't have to search the house for important information while heading to the hospital.

2. Have a Current Medication List Ready

Medication information is particularly important during a hospital stay.

Bring an up-to-date list of all medications, including:

• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter medications
• Vitamins
• Supplements
• Herbal products

Make sure the list is current.

If a medication was recently added, discontinued, or changed, make sure that information is reflected.

AHRQ's hospital-discharge guidance emphasizes reviewing medications and making sure patients and caregivers understand what should be taken after discharge.

You don't need to memorize the medication list.

Bring the list.

3. Know Why Your Loved One Is Going to the Hospital

If the hospital visit is planned, make sure you understand:

• Why the hospitalization is happening
• What procedure or treatment is expected
• What the healthcare team has told you to expect
• What questions you still have

If the visit is unexpected, write down what happened before you arrived.

When did the symptoms begin?

What changed?

Was there a fall?

Was there a new medication?

Did your loved one experience something unusual?

You may need to explain the same information more than once to different members of the healthcare team.

Having it written down can make that much easier.

4. Pack for the Person, Not Just the Hospital

A hospital will provide many things, but there are still personal items that can make the experience easier.

Depending on the situation, consider bringing:

• Identification and insurance information
• Eyeglasses
• Hearing aids and their storage case
• Dentures and their case
• Comfortable clothing
• Non-slip footwear, if appropriate
• Phone and charger
• Personal hygiene items
• A notebook and pen
• A small comfort item from home

If your loved one has memory problems or becomes easily confused in unfamiliar surroundings, familiar photographs or other comforting items may also help.

NIA recommends preparing a bag with important medical and personal information for emergency hospital visits, particularly for people living with dementia.

Keep the bag practical. You don't need to pack the house.

5. Write Down Your Questions

Hospitals can be overwhelming.

There may be unfamiliar terminology, new information, multiple healthcare professionals, and decisions to make.

It's easy to think:

I'll remember that question.

You may not.

Keep a running list of questions.

For example:

• What are you treating?
• What tests are being done?
• What do we know so far?
• Are there test results we're waiting for?
• What should we expect next?
• Who is coordinating the care?
• What does my loved one need to do after leaving the hospital?
• Who should we contact if we have questions after discharge?

You don't need to ask everything at once.

Write it down so you don't have to depend on your memory.

6. Keep Notes During the Hospital Stay

Hospital stays can generate an enormous amount of information.

Consider keeping a simple running record of:

Date

Healthcare professional

What we discussed

Tests or procedures

Important information

Questions

Next steps

You don't have to document every conversation.

Focus on information that you or another caregiver will need later.

If several family members are involved, a shared notebook or digital document can also help everyone stay informed.

NIA recommends using shared caregiving systems to help keep people involved in care informed.

7. Ask What Needs to Happen Before Going Home

This is one of the most important parts of a hospital stay.

Discharge planning should begin before the day you leave.

Ask:

• When do you expect my loved one to go home?
• What needs to happen before discharge?
• Will medications change?
• What medications should be stopped, started, or continued?
• Are there follow-up appointments?
• Who will provide follow-up care?
• Will equipment be needed at home?
• Will home health or other services be needed?
• What activities are allowed?
• What should we watch for?
• Who should we call if we have questions or concerns?

MedlinePlus recommends that a discharge plan include medical problems and allergies, medications and changes to them, follow-up appointments, contact information, and instructions about activity, food, and what to do if problems arise.

Don't be afraid to ask someone to explain something again.

Understanding the plan is part of being prepared to carry it out.

8. Make Sure You Know Who to Call

Before leaving the hospital, make sure you know who to contact after you go home.

Ask for the appropriate phone numbers and clarify:

• Who handles questions about medications?
• Who should you call during office hours?
• Who should you call after hours?
• Who should you contact about follow-up appointments?
• What should you do if your loved one's condition changes?
• What symptoms require immediate attention?

AHRQ's discharge guidance emphasizes giving patients and caregivers clear instructions about whom to contact when problems arise and what constitutes an emergency.

If you're unsure whether something is an emergency, seek appropriate medical guidance rather than trying to determine the answer yourself.

Preparing Your Home for the Return

Going home doesn't necessarily mean things immediately return to normal.

Your loved one may temporarily—or permanently—need more help than before the hospital stay.

Depending on their needs, consider whether you may need to prepare:

• A sleeping area
• Bathroom access
• Meals and groceries
• Transportation
• Medication organization
• Mobility equipment
• Help with personal care
• Assistance from family or other caregivers

MedlinePlus recommends preparing the home so frequently needed items are accessible and considering what assistance may be needed with bathing, meals, errands, appointments, and other everyday tasks.

And remember:

You don't have to make every change before you know what will actually be needed.

Ask the healthcare team what they recommend.

Give Yourself Permission to Ask Questions

Sometimes caregivers hesitate to ask questions because they don't want to bother busy hospital staff.

Please ask anyway.

If you don't understand an instruction, ask for clarification.

If you aren't sure what happens next, ask.

If you're worried about managing something at home, say so.

You are not expected to leave the hospital knowing everything.

The goal is to leave with enough information to understand the plan and know what to do next.

When an Unexpected Hospital Trip Happens

Of course, you can't always prepare.

Sometimes the hospital trip happens in the middle of the night.

Sometimes you're already on the way before you realize you forgot everything you intended to bring.

That's okay.

Do what you can.

Your loved one needs you—not a perfectly packed hospital bag.

If you have a medication list on your phone, access it.

If you have important medical information in a binder, ask someone to bring it later.

If another family member can help with paperwork or gathering belongings, let them.

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is helping your loved one get the care they need.

One Small Step Toward Being Prepared

You don't have to create an elaborate hospital system today.

Start with three things:

A current medication list.

Important medical information in one place.

A list of emergency contacts and healthcare providers.

Those three things alone can give you a much stronger starting point.

Then build from there.

Because when the unexpected happens, organization can't eliminate the stress—but it can eliminate some of the scrambling.

A Place to Begin

Kindness Full Stop created the Hospital Stay Planner to help caregivers prepare for the information, questions, decisions, and details that can surround a hospital stay.

Whether you're preparing for a planned procedure or simply want to be more prepared for the unexpected, having a place to gather important information can make the experience feel a little more manageable.

Prepare what you can. Take it one step at a time.

Explore the Hospital Stay Planner

Sources & Further Reading

The information in this article is intended for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always follow the instructions provided by your healthcare team and contact an appropriate healthcare professional with questions about your loved one's care.

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality — Taking Care of Myself: A Guide for When I Leave the Hospital
• MedlinePlus — Leaving the Hospital: Your Discharge Plan
• MedlinePlus — Getting Your Home Ready After the Hospital
• National Institute on Aging — Caregiver Worksheets
• National Institute on Aging — Taking a Person With Alzheimer's Disease to the Hospital