Being discharged home
When you are well enough to leave hospital, the team will work with you to identify what support you require when you go home. This may include provision of equipment, care, ongoing rehabilitation or further medical investigations.
The team will make the required referrals on your behalf and a discharge summary will be sent electronically to your GP.
Follow up after critical care
Depending on where you live you may also be offered an appointment in a critical care follow up clinic where you can discuss your concerns.
For specific information regarding what follow up post critical care stay is available please speak to someone from your health board for more information. They will also be able to provide you with more tailored advice if required regarding your recovery and condition. Or see your local health boards website for more information.
Once you are home, if you have ongoing worries or concerns and are not seeing someone about it, you can ask to be referred at any point. Your GP or local team can refer you to for example an outpatient or community or specialist services team.
These may include:
- If you are experiencing breathlessness, worsening shortness of breath or reduced exercise tolerance.
- If you are experiencing falls following discharge.
- If you are struggling with your general level of strength and mobility or you are unable to perform tasks that you could do at discharge from hospital
These may include:
- Poor appetite and reduced oral intake
- Failure to gain weight back to usual weight
- Ongoing weight loss
- Undesired weight gain
- Specialist dietetic advice e.g. diabetes, gastroenterology, renal
This may include:
- Voice not returning to previous volume or quality
- Difficulty using your voice for work and/or day to day function
- Discomfort when using your voice
- Swallowing difficulties e.g. coughing when eating/drinking, sensation of food or drink left in your throat.
Some patients when they go home can find that they struggle either physically or cognitively with everyday tasks such as:
- washing and dressing
- getting in and out of bed
- being able to prepare a meal
- return to leisure / work activities
- Persistent emotional difficulties which impact on your ability to function, this can include low mood, anxiety, flashbacks or difficult dreams
- Thinking and memory difficulties.
