The hospital says they can leave. Nobody has told you what happens next.
Discharge moves quickly, and families are usually the last people to be given a clear picture. We slow it down, explain the options properly, and give you a written plan you can actually work from.
You are being asked to make a long-term decision at the worst possible moment
Hospitals are under real pressure to free beds, and discharge planning often starts before a family has caught up with what has actually happened. You may be handed a list of care homes, asked to choose quickly, and told that funding is something to sort out later.
The decisions being made in those few days — residential or nursing, home care or a placement, who pays and on what basis — are the ones that shape the next few years. They deserve more thought than the timetable allows.
What you are entitled to expect
You should be told what is being proposed and why, what the alternatives are, and how the care is expected to be funded. You should have the chance to ask questions and to understand a plan before agreeing to it. If something is unclear, saying so is reasonable, not obstructive.
What we do in those few days
We work out what is actually being proposed, translate it into plain English, identify the funding questions that need asking now rather than later, and set out the realistic options with their consequences. Then we help you act on it.
- A full review of the circumstances and what is being proposed
- Discharge options explained clearly, with the trade-offs made explicit
- Funding considerations identified while they can still be raised
- Care options appropriate to the actual level of need
- A written next-step plan you keep
- Practical support coordinating the next stage
Is this discharge safe to accept?
Five questions. No email, nothing stored. The result tells you what to ask for, in what order, and what not to sign.
Hospital discharge
“The hospital says Mum can leave. We have no idea what happens next.”
You may suddenly be expected to understand care homes, home care, assessments, funding and discharge arrangements — often while your family is already exhausted.
Response target: within 48 hours
- Review of your relative’s circumstances
- Discharge options explained in plain English
- Funding considerations — who is likely to pay
- Care options that realistically fit the need
- A written next-step plan you can act on
- Practical support coordinating the next stage
Discharge questions
How quickly can you help?
Discharge work is prioritised, with a response target of 48 hours. If the situation is moving faster than that, telephone rather than email.
Can you stop a discharge?
No, and we would not claim to. What we can do is make sure the plan is understood, the funding questions are asked at the point they still matter, and the option chosen is one your family has actually considered.
Should we have a funding assessment before agreeing to anything?
Funding should be considered as part of discharge planning rather than afterwards. Whether a Continuing Healthcare checklist is appropriate is one of the first things we look at.
We have already agreed to a placement. Is it too late?
Not necessarily, though it is harder. It is always worth understanding what was decided, on what basis, and whether anything was missed.
Do you work with the ward directly?
Where it helps and your family wants us to, yes. Often the most useful thing is simply making sure the right questions are put in writing.
Is this available outside East Sussex?
Discharge guidance is provided by telephone and video throughout the UK. In-person involvement is centred on Eastbourne and the surrounding corridor.
You don’t need to know which service you need.
Just tell us what’s happening.
No pressure. No care-provider commissions. Just a conversation about what may help.Independent · no commission from any care provider · fees published
Professionals