My loved one is being discharged from inpatient hospitalization. What do I need to know?

What is discharge planning?

Discharge planning involves making a plan for what will happen when someone is discharged from the hospital. Discharge plans have information about where the person being discharged will go, what services they will follow up with, what medications they will take, what things they will notice if they start to feel in crisis again, and what steps they will take to care for themselves or get support when they need it.

The following information is usually included in a mental health discharge plan:

Reason for hospital admission
Mental health diagnosis information
Medications to take when discharged, including dosage information and instructions
Referral information for follow up services
Usually involves “step down” from inpatient hospitalization to a lower level of care e.g., partial hospitalization program, outpatient mental health services
Follow up appointments are typically scheduled within 7 days of hospital discharge
Crisis planning
A list of signs and symptoms that may indicate your loved one is approaching a mental health crisis
Coping skills your loved one can use when distressed or overwhelmed
People your loved one can reach out to when they need support
Professional services like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or the nearest emergency department your loved one will use if they experience a mental health crisis
Connection to other community resources like housing, supported employment, support groups, and clubhouses
Self-care activities such as exercise, diet, and physical activity that will help your loved one stay well

Who is involved in the discharge planning process?

Discharge plans are developed by the treatment team, the person with a mental health condition, and ideally family members. There is often one nurse or social worker on the treatment team responsible for coordinating your loved one's discharge planning process.

How can I support my loved one’s discharge planning?

Consider asking your loved one to sign a release of information early in their hospital stay so you can participate in their treatment and discharge planning.

When you do partner in their treatment, ask your loved one questions about how you can best support them. Ask your loved one’s treatment team questions about how you can best help your loved one stay safe and pursue meaningful recovery when they get out of the hospital. Make clear what support your loved one does and does not already have (e.g., therapy, housing, employment), so the discharge planner knows what services and supports to try and connect your loved one with.

If your loved one is returning home with you, consider talking about what life at home usually looks like. Express any specific concerns you have about things like medication adherence, social withdrawal, common triggers your loved one encounters at home, or other things you think could get in the way of their recovery. Then your loved one’s discharge plan can include strategies and resources for addressing those concerns.

How can I advocate for my loved one to get the services they need after they are discharged?

Being hospitalized usually means that someone needs a lot of support to stay safe and live well as they recover from a hospital stay. Because of this, people being discharged from the hospital are often prioritized for things like treatment, housing, and other supportive community services. This makes your loved one’s hospital stay and discharge planning process a good time to advocate for them to get the supportive services they need.

For example, your loved one might not be able to stay with you because their treatment needs require more specialized help and support than you are able to provide at home. Your loved one may need another housing arrangement where they can get the support they need when they get out of the hospital. In this situation, you can make it clear to the treatment team and discharge planner that your loved one is in urgent need of housing support. You may ask that your loved one be connected to supervised group housing or other supported housing resources for people who live with serious mental illness.

While services in your area may be limited, advocating around this issue might get your loved one moved to the top of the waitlist for housing and other services. Even if they are not able to connect your loved ones with all the ideal services and supports, the discharge planner may partner with you to line up as many connections to helpful resources as possible before your loved one is discharged.

This is a lot. Can I talk to other people who have supported a loved one through hospital discharge?

Supporting a loved one through an inpatient hospital stay and the discharge planning process can be a lot. You might consider joining a NAMI Family Support Group, where caregivers of loved ones with mental illness can talk about their experience and get supportive tips from other family members who have gone through the hospitalization and discharge process. You can join a NAMI Family Support Group by connecting with your local NAMI Affiliate.

Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST

Call: 800-950-NAMI (6264)

Text: 62640

Email: helpline@nami.org

Website: www.nami.org/help