As a publicly funded hospital, the role of Southlake Regional Health Centre is to provide the highest level of care to patients during severe or acute episodes of sickness, disease, or injury. Once a patient moves past the acute phase of his/her illness, they are ready to be discharged home with or without assistance or to a bed in a healthcare facility that offers non-acute care (e.g. discharged home with scheduled visits from a healthcare provider, discharged to a rehabilitation hospital or long-term care facility, etc.)
The following information and services are available to assist discharged patients in leaving the Hospital as soon as possible:
CHATS: Home at Last Program
This seven-day-a-week service offers free, escorted transportation back home, as well as settling-in assistance from a professional Personal Support Worker, making a smooth transition from hospital to home following surgery, in-patient stays, and emergency department visits. For discharged patients over age 55 or with special needs.
The Home at Last Program is provided by Community Home Assistance To Seniors (CHATS) and is funded by the Central Local Health Integrated Network.
Doorways to Care (DWTC)
Doorways to Care helps connect seniors with community services after a hospital stay or visit. This service supports the success of managing safely in the home and avoiding unnecessary re-admission to hospital or emergency departments.
This program is linked with CHATS current Home at Last (HAL) program, which provides free transportation to seniors from hospital to home and settling in with a certified Personal Support Worker (PSW).
For more information on DWTC call 1-866-626-0222.
Discharge Instructions
As a discharged patient, you will be given specific instructions to follow once you leave the Hospital. You may also be given prescriptions for medication and a follow-up appointment time with your doctor and/or other healthcare professionals. If you have not received any follow-up instructions or do not understand them please ask your nurse before you leave. Before leaving the Hospital, please go to the cashier's counter located on Level 1 of the East Building to settle any outstanding charges. Patients going home on weekends will receive their bill in the mail if any charges are outstanding. Patients on the Birthing or Maternity Unit may settle their account with the unit clerk either by credit card or debit.
Responsibility of Patient and Family
To ensure the discharge process proceeds as smoothly as possible, it would be appreciated if you and/or your family would:
- Provide necessary clothing to be worn at time of discharge.
- Pack, remove, and transport all personal belongings.
- Fill prescriptions for medications prior to or immediately following discharge. For your convenience, a Pharmacy is located in the lobby of the East Building and on Level 1 of the Medical Arts Building.
- Be available during the day (morning preferred) to take the patient home.
- Make arrangements for the necessary equipment or modifications to be delivered/completed at home, as instructed by the healthcare team.
- Be available to receive necessary instructions for you or your family member's care prior to discharge.
- Inform the patient care unit of any unforeseen circumstances which may delay discharge.
- In the case of an infant, or small child, have a certified car seat available at time of discharge.
Discharge Policy: Long-Term Care Facility
Hospitals are accountable to operate as efficiently as possible to meet the needs of the communities they are designated to serve. Ensuring that patients are discharged as soon as they no longer require an acute care bed is part of this process. It is the policy of Southlake to transfer patients awaiting placement in a long-term care facility to the first available bed, where their care needs can be safely met until a bed becomes available in their chosen facility.
To assist patients and families during this difficult and stressful time, Southlake's discharge planners and the <link> Central Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) case workers work closely with patients and families to help them fill out application forms, offer advice, answer questions, and to provide support.
Surveys
As a community hospital we want to know about and understand your healthcare needs. Southlake Regional Health Centre uses a 3rd party private company whom, every month, randomly select patients to receive a confidential survey questionnaire by mail about their Hospital experience. Patients can expect to see the survey within approximately 6 weeks from their discharge date.
Your honest opinion about your care is very important to us, so we ask that you complete the survey and return it to us. In some cases the same patient may receive two surveys as a result of two recent hospital visits. If you have any questions about the survey, a contact number is provided on the form.