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SHHA Discharge

What is Discharge Planning?

At the earliest opportunity, you and your health care team will begin planning for your discharge. Starting discharge planning early helps ensure that the right services and programs are in place when you leave the hospital.

When you leave the Hospital ... return home with the appropriate support

Sometimes patients need support at home. In that case, the health care team will have already discussed support with you or your family, and made the appropriate arrangements.

Some patients require short term or continuous care after discharge. For these patients, there are several options they and their health care team will consider:

• Transfer to an assisted living accomodation or retirement home
• Transfer to a long-term care home

If you require long-term care placement from hospital, your Social Worker and the Community Care Access Centre will help you apply to one preferred facility for permanent residence and two facilities with short waiting lists.

PLEASE NOTE: You may be required to accept the first available appropriate bed, where you can wait on a temporary basis for your preferred choice.

All Ontario Hospitals must promptly discharge patients who no longer require their care. When the patient is deemed ready for discharge, the patient shall be required to leave. This ensures that medical services and beds are available for those in greatest need for acute care. The Ministry of Health and Long- Term Care has specified that when a discharged patient refuses to leave a hospital, the hospital stay becomes uninsured. The hospital will then charge the patient a per diem rate.

There are many requirements as to why and how SHHA employes determine if a patient is ready to be discharged from our care.

Please click here to read the Discharge Planning Policy that SHHA has in effect. This policy explains specifiic reasonsing on different types of illnesses when it comes to discharging patients.

Discharge time will be 1300 hours (1 p.m.), unless the Physician orders otherwise.