Mom or Dad was just in the hospital.

What to do first

With or without Agensy.

1. Get the discharge papers before you leave

   Ask for the written discharge instructions and a complete list of medications: what is new, what changed, and what to stop.

2. Compare the new list with what is at home

   Go line by line against the bottles and the list you already had. If a dose is different, call the pharmacist or the doctor who discharged them before the next dose. Don’t guess.

3. Fill new prescriptions the same day

   A new medication that isn’t picked up is the most common gap in the first 48 hours.

4. Book the follow-up visits now

   The discharge sheet usually names a follow-up, often within one or two weeks. Make the call before you get home.

5. Know the warning signs and who to call

   The hospital lists symptoms to watch for. Put them, and the doctor’s after-hours number, somewhere everyone can find them. In an emergency, call 911.

6. Tell everyone helping what changed

   One updated medication list and face sheet, shared with every family member and caregiver, so nobody works from the old one.