Your Parent Is Home From Hospital: The First 48 Hours

The phone call comes: Mum’s being discharged. Relief floods in – she’s well enough to leave. But almost immediately, a knot forms in your stomach. What happens now? Is she actually ready? Will she cope? If you’re feeling this mix of emotions, you’re not alone. The transition from hospital to home is one of the most vulnerable periods for older people. Research shows that 62% of hospital readmissions happen within the first two weeks of discharge. This isn’t to alarm you – it’s to help you understand why these early days matter so much, and what you can do to help your parent through them safely.

Why the First Few Days Are So Critical

Hospital stays take a surprising toll on the body, even when someone is being treated successfully. A phenomenon called “hospital-acquired deconditioning” means that older patients can lose muscle strength remarkably quickly – studies show measurable decline beginning within just 24 to 48 hours of admission. After a week in hospital, many elderly patients have lost significant strength and mobility, regardless of what they were originally admitted for.

This means your parent may be coming home weaker than when they went in. They passed the hospital’s mobility assessment – walking down a wide, flat corridor with a physiotherapist beside them – but your house has narrow doorways, thick carpets, and a bathroom that requires navigating around furniture. It’s a very different challenge.

Add to this the exhaustion of the hospital environment (poor sleep, irregular meals, the stress of illness), and you begin to understand why these first days require particular care and attention.

What to Expect When They First Get Home

They’ll be tired. Hospitals are not restful places. Expect your parent to need more sleep than usual for the first few days. This is normal and part of recovery.

The house may feel unfamiliar. After time away, even their own home can feel strange. They may be disoriented, particularly if they have any degree of cognitive impairment. Give them time to readjust.

They may seem different. Some people become more anxious after a hospital stay, particularly about falling or becoming unwell again. Others may seem withdrawn or low in mood. Both are common responses to what they’ve been through.

Don’t expect a quick bounce back. Research suggests that even four to six weeks after returning home, many elderly patients haven’t fully regained the strength they lost during their hospital stay. Recovery is a gradual process, not an event.

The Biggest Risk: Falls

Falls are the most common serious problem in the early days after discharge. Studies show that 40% of older adults discharged from hospital will fall at least once within six months – with the risk highest in those first few weeks. Half of these falls result in injury.

Several factors combine to create this increased risk:

• Reduced strength and balance from time spent in hospital, often lying or sitting for long periods.
• Medication changes that may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or confusion. New medications or altered doses are common after a hospital stay.
• Overconfidence or underconfidence. Some people push themselves too hard too soon. Others become so afraid of falling that they stop moving, which actually increases their risk by allowing further muscle weakening.
• Night-time toileting is particularly dangerous. The need to get to the bathroom quickly, combined with darkness, drowsiness, and forgetting to use a walking aid, leads to many falls in the early hours.

Quick Safety Checks You Can Do Today

Walk through your parent’s home with fresh eyes:

• Are there loose rugs or cables that could cause a trip?
• Is there a clear path from bed to bathroom?
• Is lighting adequate, particularly on stairs and in hallways?
• Can they reach a light switch from their bed?
• Is there something sturdy to hold onto between bed and bathroom?
• Are the things they need regularly within easy reach?

If they’ve been given a walking frame or stick, encourage them to use it – even for short distances, even at night, even when they feel they don’t need it.

What Should Have Been Put in Place

Before discharge, the hospital should have arranged several things. If any of these are missing, it’s worth following up:

• Equipment: Items like a raised toilet seat, commode, walking frame, or grab rails should ideally be delivered on the day of discharge or very shortly after. If equipment hasn’t arrived, contact the hospital’s discharge team or your local council’s adult social services.
• Medication: Your parent should have come home with their medications and clear instructions about any changes. If you’re unsure what they should be taking, contact their GP surgery.
• Care visits: If care workers were arranged, they should have started immediately. Know who the care provider is and have their contact number.
• Follow-up appointments: There may be outpatient appointments, GP check-ups, or therapy sessions scheduled. Make sure you know what’s been arranged and when.
• GP notification: The hospital should have informed your parent’s GP about the discharge. If your parent needs to see their GP in the first few days, phone the surgery and explain they’ve just been discharged from hospital – many practices prioritise these appointments.

If Things Don’t Seem Right

Sometimes it becomes clear within hours or days that the discharge hasn’t worked as planned. Perhaps your parent can’t manage the stairs. Perhaps they’re more confused than the hospital realised. Perhaps the care package isn’t enough.

Signs that warrant concern include:

• Falls or near-falls
• Unable to get to the toilet safely or in time
• Not eating or drinking
• Increased confusion or drowsiness
• Pain that isn’t controlled
• Wound problems – redness, swelling, discharge
• Fever or feeling generally unwell

If you’re worried, your first port of call is usually the GP. For urgent concerns, NHS 111 can provide advice. If your parent is seriously unwell, don’t hesitate to call 999 or go to A&E.

If you believe the discharge was unsafe – if your parent clearly cannot cope at home despite the support that’s been put in place – you can contact adult social services to request a reassessment. The phrase “safeguarding concern” will be taken seriously if you genuinely believe your parent is at risk.

Getting Extra Help

Reablement Care

If your parent needs support immediately after discharge, they may be entitled to “reablement” – a free, short-term service (usually up to six weeks) designed to help people regain independence. This typically involves care workers visiting daily to help with tasks like washing, dressing, and preparing meals, with the aim of rebuilding skills rather than simply doing things for them. Reablement should be arranged before or at the point of discharge. If it wasn’t offered and you think your parent would benefit, contact your local council’s adult social services.

Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

The muscle strength and balance lost during a hospital stay won’t return on its own. Rehabilitation – particularly physiotherapy – plays an important role in helping older people regain mobility and reduce their risk of falls. Your parent may have been referred to NHS community physiotherapy before discharge. However, waiting times vary considerably, and the most rapid gains in recovery happen in the early weeks – the same period when fall risk is highest.

Some families choose to arrange private physiotherapy to bridge this gap. A physiotherapist can assess your parent at home, identify specific problems with mobility or balance, provide exercises tailored to their abilities, and help rebuild confidence. They can also advise on equipment and home modifications.

Occupational Therapy

An occupational therapist (OT) focuses on helping people manage everyday activities safely. They can assess your parent’s home environment, recommend equipment or adaptations, and suggest strategies for tasks that have become difficult. OTs are available through the NHS (via GP referral) or privately.

Looking After Yourself Too

Caring for an elderly parent – especially during a crisis like a hospital admission and discharge – is exhausting. It’s natural to want to do everything yourself, but this isn’t sustainable.

Be honest about what you can and can’t provide. If you work full-time, live far away, or have your own health issues or family responsibilities, you cannot be your parent’s sole support system. That’s not a failure – it’s reality.

If you’re providing regular care for your parent, you’re entitled to a Carer’s Assessment from your local council, which can identify support available to you. Organisations like Carers UK and Age UK offer advice, support, and someone to talk to.

The Days Ahead

The first few days after hospital discharge are undoubtedly hard. There’s uncertainty, there’s worry, and there’s often a lot to organise at short notice. But things do settle. Most people find their feet, the new routines become familiar, and recovery – even if slow – does happen.

Getting the right support in place early makes an enormous difference. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, chase up services that were promised, and seek help if things aren’t working. You know your parent. Trust your judgement.