Going Home

Your discharge date 

Your whole health-care team has a role in ensuring the plan for you leaving the hospital is as safe as possible and meets your needs to help you heal and recover.  
 
Once your care team has determined your expected discharge date, they will share this information with you. You will leave the hospital between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on the day of your discharge. You should make sure the person picking you up from the hospital knows that discharge is between these times.  

Who will pick you up from the hospital 

If you do not have somebody to pick you up from the hospital on the day of your discharge, talk to somebody on your care team. They will help you arrange transportation for the day you leave the hospital.  

Pay-for-transport 

If you need help to get home beyond family, friends, or taxi, your care team can set up your ride home through a non-emergent transport service. You, your family or caregiver can also make these arrangements. Sunnybrook does not pay for patient transportation costs from the hospital to home, including to long-term care. You or your family are responsible for these costs and will need to give a credit card number to the transportation service before leaving the hospital. If you have any questions, please ask a social worker or health care team member on your unit.  

Do I need to make any lifestyle or self-care changes once I’ve left the hospital? 

Following an illness or injury, you may need to make changes to your day-to-day routine. Some questions you may want to ask your health care team include: 

• Are there foods I should avoid? 
• Is there medical equipment I will need to arrange to get or purchase? 
• Are there skills I’ll need to learn to take care of myself?  
• Does my family know how to take care of me at home, if I cannot care for myself? 

Do I have any follow-up appointments? 

Be sure to ask where your follow-up appointments will be.  

Who do I call if I have any questions once I’ve left Sunnybrook?  

Your care team will provide you with any contact information you may need.  

Your prescriptions 

Before you leave the hospital, make sure you have all of your prescriptions, and that you know how to take all of your medications. Ask your health-care team about any side-effects you should know about. 

Your belongings 

Before leaving the hospital, make sure you have all of your belongings. Check with your nurse to make sure you aren’t leaving anything behind. 

Any charges incurred during your stay for uninsured services will be billed by Patient Accounts and the invoice will be mailed to your home address after discharge. For more information about charges or billing procedures, call 416-480-4156.

Repatriation can happen for many different reasons. It is the process of returning patients from Sunnybrook to a hospital that is closer to their home. It applies to patients who came to Sunnybrook for specialized care they could not receive locally.

Repatriation happens as soon as the need for specialized care (or “tertiary” care) is over. This will be determined by the physician in charge of your care.

Tertiary care is a higher level of care that involves very specialized equipment and expertise. Tertiary care is usually provided by an academic teaching hospital or large community hospital with access to specialists. Patients will often be referred from smaller hospitals to a tertiary hospital for major operations, consultations with sub-specialists, and when intensive care facilities are needed.

We understand that transfer of care from one hospital to another can be very stressful. Repatriation makes sure that we are delivering the right level of care to patients who need it the most at the right time.

Patients will go back to the hospital that is best able to care for them or is designated to care for them.

Repatriation is a team effort that involves our Repatriation Office, the physician(s) in charge of the patient’s care, the unit’s Patient Care Manager, Patient Care Coordinators, Charge Nurses/Team Leaders, and the interprofessional team. The entire care team plays a role in communicating with the patient and family along the way.

You will be told by a member of your care team that you are eligible for repatriation in the first day or two after your arrival at Sunnybrook. It might not be known yet what day you will go to their “close to home” hospital, as that will depend on your condition and when you are clinically ready. Sunnybrook will provide support along the way by keeping you and your family informed on their progress. You should receive regular updates from the care team.

Sometimes it can take a little while to make sure all the pieces are in place before you are repatriated. This includes waiting for a bed to become available at the receiving hospital and making sure the team there is ready for the patient. 

On the other hand, this process can sometimes happen quickly, and you may be notified that you are being repatriated on the same day. 

During the repatriation process, there will be full team input in terms of recommendations for therapies, family supports, liaising with private providers, access to specialized resources so that optimal care goals are achieved

Repatriation can occur at any point in the hospital journey, but will only occur when you can be transferred safely and your medical needs can be met elsewhere. Sunnybrook and the receiving hospital will be in communication about your status throughout the process. 

Patients who are still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can be repatriated if their tertiary care is complete. 

Safe transportation to the hospital closer to your home will be arranged by Sunnybrook according to your medical needs, and level of care required. This may include ambulance or private transport providers.

Repatriation allows us to deliver specialized care to the patients who need it most. Patients and families cannot refuse repatriation; however, we will work with you to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Please speak with a member of the care team such as a Charge Nurse, a Patient Care Coordinator, or the Patient Care Manager if there are further questions about this process.