Going back home

Once hospitalization and rehabilitation end, patient can finally return back home; acute illnesses could have led to physical and/or psychological changes, not always reversable.

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Going back home could be traumatic if not well prepared: a family collaboration is certainly important, especially if the patient is not fully autonomous yet. Relatives must take care of both treatments (medications or drugs) and welcome fitting the latter with his/her current possibilities; re-organizing spaces and furniture is of central importance and could be carried out with a professional support offered by an Occupational Therapist.

Relatives must be informed on how to handle some new requirements their beloved one could carry with him/her: bronchoaspiration, hygienic care, management of the tracheal cannula and the stoma, massage and physical postures are among those. These procedures must be well known even before patient' arrival at home. Asking family' general practice physician could be helpful.

Relatives face new responsibilities in front of which being afraid is completely understandable; being aware of ones own limitations and possibilities could be advisableas well as looking for help if necessary.

The family should consider that it is not easy to adapt to the idea of not having ongoing medical care if you've recently risked death: common anxieties and fears could follow and need understanding attentions.

On this page we have collected the most complex cases aiming at providing useful information to relatives who will find themselves in difficult situations. Thankfully, most of the time going back home is more serenely.