Discharge Planning Essay

Introduction

Discharge planning is the process by which follow up services are established to support the patient’s current and future medical needs after their release from an acute care hospital stay.1 The aim of discharge planning is to reduce and maintain costs, improve patient outcomes and ensure the patient receives the highest quality care. Discharge planning is a complex process, which includes the contribution of many health care workers.1 The planning process may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, physicians, nurses, social workers, and care coordinators. A patient’s mobility status, cognitive/mental state, financial/social status, home environment, home support system, and physical capacity should all be considered when creating the discharge plan.

Background and Purpose

Physical therapists are an integral part of the discharge planning process. A physical therapist must consider the patient’s ability to complete functional tasks and their safety with task completion. Also PTs must consider the patient’s environmental barriers for returning home. Some examples to consider are terrain, steps, handrails, home layout, bed height,

Initial treatment sessions focused on completing supine exercises, bed mobility, and transfers. Supine exercises included quad sets, gluteal sets, and ankle pumps. With progression in physiological endurance patient began to complete exercises at the edge of bed. Exercises included long arc quad sets, marching, and improving sitting tolerance. The third progression of exercises included improvement with standing tolerance and completion of lateral steps. The patient was advised to complete supine exercises on his own in the hours spent outside of scheduled therapy treatment. Nursing staff and MD were notified of changes in the patient’s functional status after each therapy