Going Home From the Hospital: A Discharge Checklist for Merrimack Valley Families

Short answer: Before a loved one leaves the hospital, ask the discharge planner which services were ordered for home, confirm medications and follow-up appointments, make the home safer, and line up help for the first days. If skilled nursing or therapy at home was ordered, a Medicare-certified home health agency can provide it.

Local hospitals have new names

In the Merrimack Valley, Lawrence General Hospital, Holy Family Methuen and Holy Family Haverhill now operate together as Merrimack Health: Lawrence Hospital, Methuen Hospital and Haverhill Hospital (renamed September 2025). In Lowell, patients are discharged from Lowell General Hospital and its Saints Campus.

Before discharge: questions to ask

1. Was home health care ordered (nursing, physical or occupational therapy)? Which agency will provide it?
2. What changed with medications? Ask for an updated written list.
3. Which follow-up appointments are scheduled, and how will my loved one get there?
4. Are there warning signs that mean we should call the doctor, or 911?
5. Is any medical equipment needed (walker, shower chair)?

Medicare.gov notes that when a provider decides you need home health care, they should give you a list of agencies that serve your area. You can ask for a specific agency.

Prepare the home

The CDC reports that falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older, and that about 1 in 4 older adults reports a fall each year. Clear walkways, add night lights, and make sure the bathroom and stairs are safe before the first night home.

The first week

• Plan who will stay with your loved one, especially at night.
• Keep a notebook for questions, symptoms and visits.
• Arrange groceries, prescriptions and follow-up visits.

How Right Care can help

We provide skilled nursing, home health aide, CNA, personal care and companion care, plus physical and occupational therapy, all in your home. Companion care includes conversation, meal preparation, light housekeeping and errands. We coordinate with your clinician on ordered services. Right Care is a Medicare-certified home health agency. Coverage depends on plan; we verify benefits.

Discharge planners: use our secure referral form (/patient-referral-form/) or call (978) 641-6909.

FAQ

Can care start the day my loved one comes home? Call us as early as possible so we can review the orders and your benefits and plan the start of care. Who decides which services are covered? Your insurance plan’s rules decide. We verify your benefits. Is home care a nursing home? No. All of our care is provided in your own home.

Sources: Merrimack Health, https://merrimackhealth.org/ ; Medicare.gov home health, https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services ; CDC Older Adult Falls Data, https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/index.html (accessed Oct 20, 2026). General information, not medical advice. For emergencies, call 911.