Care checklists

Get the discharge date and time confirmed in writingDo not skip
Ask for an up-to-date medication list, including what has changedDo not skip
Ask when the follow-up appointment is, and with whomDo not skip
Find out what equipment is needed — frame, commode, hospital bed, oxygen
Arrange transport that fits a wheelchair or a stretcherAn ambulance is not always available for non-emergency moves.

Decide which care type is actually needed — nursing, assisted living or day careDo not skip
Write down the real monthly ceiling, including medication and continence suppliesDo not skip
Ask what happens if the money runs out or needs riseTransfer to a different home later is hard on the person.

Smell the corridors and the roomsDo not skip
How long does a call bell ring before someone comes?
Are residents up, dressed and out of their rooms during the day?
Look at a meal being served, and who is helping people eat
Ask how long the current staff have worked thereConstant changes in carers unsettle people with memory loss.

How many residents per carer on the night shift?Do not skip
Is a registered nurse on site or on call, and at which hours?Do not skip
Which authority licenses this home, and what is the licence number?We do not verify licences, so ask to see it and check it yourself.
Who is the doctor, and how often do they visit?
Can family visit without notice, and at what hours?
How are complaints recorded and answered?
Can there be a two-week trial before signing anything?

Original identity card, and a copy kept somewhere separateDo not skip
A signed will, with the executor told where it isDo not skip
Legal authority for someone to act if you cannotAsk a Malaysian solicitor which instrument fits your situation.
Next-of-kin details written down, not only stored in a phone

Where passwords are kept, and who can reach themUse a sealed note or a password manager, not a sticky label.
A list of recurring bills with account numbers
Standing payments and subscriptions that would keep running
Who holds keys, and to what

Preparing to leave hospital