How to organize your life after a hospital stay

If you are preparing to leave after a stay in the hospital, there is a temptation to believe that life will automatically go back to normal as soon as you exit the building, but this is rarely the case. In fact, if you have been away from your normal life for more than a few days, there is a number of tasks to take care of before you can get back into a steady routine.

For instance, you may need to read through and order all the post and paperwork you have missed in your absence, pay bills, get back up to speed with work and ensure you can afford to look after yourself if you are unable to return to work straight away.

Thankfully, if you anticipate these challenges in advance then you can overcome them far easier, and make your post-hospital experience a lot less stressful.

This process will require organization, but as long as you work through your plan methodically, there shouldn’t be any unwanted surprises along the way.

Here’s how to organize your life after a hospital stay:

Ensure you have suitable transportation home afterward

The first and most obvious challenge you will face after a hospital stay is how you’re going to get yourself home. This depends entirely on how long your stay was, your overall health condition and how close your home is to the hospital. Naturally, if you only visited the hospital briefly and you live locally, a trusted friend or family member could pick you up and drive you home.

However, if you live further away - perhaps in a different state or country - then a medical flight could be useful, especially if you do not have someone to help escort you home.

Make sure you can sustain yourself if you can’t return to work straight away

Health recoveries after hospital stays are difficult to predict. Therefore, although you may have arranged to return to work on a certain day, this may not be possible.

If you have to recover for longer at home, ensure the lack of income will not leave you in danger of being unable to sustain yourself, especially if you’re not sure when your health will recover.

The best way to approach this is to talk to your boss and colleagues. Let them know the situation and, if you are well enough, you could work remotely, or at least allow them time to find a temporary substitute if necessary.

If you are concerned about this prospect, you could notify a friend and either ask if you can stay with them, or whether they can stay with you, helping you with shopping and cooking until you are well enough to do it yourself.

Notify family and friends of your stay and how soon they can visit afterward

One of the most important actions you can take when visiting a hospital is to let your friends and family know what is going on. They can be of great help, especially when you’re leaving the hospital.

Naturally, it is reassuring to see a familiar face when you’re vulnerable, and can make all the difference in your recovery. As previously mentioned, a loved one could help you with basic tasks like cooking and cleaning, as well as organizing your paperwork - especially if you haven’t been home in a long time.