Guide
After the hospital: a 48-hour path to starting home health
Discharge day is a bad time to learn a new industry. Use this sequence so the first nurse visit actually happens.
Key takeaways
- Ask the hospital which agency they are referring and whether you may choose another Medicare-certified agency.
- Match the agency to your ZIP in HomeAide and call before you leave the building if you can.
- Confirm the start-of-care visit window, who brings the orders, and who to call at 10 p.m.
You can usually choose the agency
Hospitals often have a preferred list. Medicare still lets the patient choose any certified agency that can serve the area. If the preferred agency has no aide staff or a poor timely-care score, it is reasonable to ask for another option.
The first 48 hours
Write down the diagnosis, the skilled need (wound, PT, new meds), the preferred language, and the home’s stairs. Give that sheet to whoever answers the agency phone. If nobody can promise a start-of-care date, call a second agency the same afternoon.
Find an agency
Search Medicare home health agencies