Recovery
The first fortnight after coming home
Hospital removes every routine a person had. Coming home with none of them intact is why the first two weeks matter so much.
Short answer
Rebuild the day in the first week: fixed waking, meals, fluids and short movement. Ask about reablement, check what follow-up was arranged, and keep contact frequent while confidence returns.
Know what was arranged before they leave
Ask for the discharge summary, who is following up, and whether reablement or intermediate care has been arranged. Short-term reablement support is free in England for up to six weeks and is routinely underused because families do not know to ask.
Set the day back up straight away
- A fixed getting-up time in the first week — sleep patterns after a hospital stay are usually wrecked.
- Meals at the old times, even if appetite is poor.
- Fluids at fixed points; dehydration is a very common cause of readmission.
- Short, frequent movement rather than bed rest, unless told otherwise.
Watch for the setbacks
New confusion, worsening breathlessness, a sudden drop in appetite or reduced urine output are all reasons to contact the GP the same day. Confusion after a hospital stay is common and often has a treatable cause.
Falls risk is higher in the first weeks. Clear routes, remove rugs, and put a light where the night route is.
Reduce contact gradually, not suddenly
Daily contact for the first fortnight, easing to a lighter check afterwards, works better than a rush of support that disappears at once. A short daily message that they confirm keeps a thread of contact once the visits reduce.