05/19/2026
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you just got a phone call.
"We're planning to discharge your mother tomorrow." Or maybe Thursday. Or maybe — and this happens more often than you'd think — "this afternoon."
Hospital discharge in Alberta moves faster than most families expect. Here's what we wish every Calgary family knew before that call comes.
1. Ask for the discharge planner — and ask early.
Every Calgary hospital has discharge planners (sometimes called "transition coordinators" or "case managers"). They're often the most useful people in the building and the least visible to families. As soon as you know discharge is on the horizon, ask the nursing station: "Who is the discharge planner for this unit, and when can I speak with them?"
2. Get the home care referral started before discharge.
AHS Home Care can be referred through the hospital — and the referral can happen before mom or dad leaves the building. Ask the discharge planner: "Can we initiate an AHS Home Care assessment now?" It can take days to weeks otherwise.
3. The first 72 hours at home are the riskiest.
This is when most readmissions happen — falls, medication confusion, missed signs of infection. If you can arrange even 4–6 hours of caregiver support per day for the first week, the difference in outcomes is significant. This is also when private home care fills a real gap, since AHS-funded care often takes longer to start.
4. Walk the house before they walk back into it.
Before mom or dad comes home, do a 30-minute safety walk-through. Things that matter more than people realize: a clear path from the bed to the bathroom at night, a sturdy chair near the front door for taking shoes off, a non-slip bath mat, no loose rugs, a phone within reach of wherever they'll be sitting most. If they're coming home with a walker or new mobility aids, measure doorways and hallways.
5. Medications change. Always.
Hospital stays almost always alter someone's medication list. Ask for a printed reconciled list at discharge. Then — and this is the key part — physically sit down at the kitchen table with mom or dad in the first 24 hours and walk through every bottle. Throw out anything that's been discontinued. Set up a pill organizer for the first week if there isn't one.
6. Watch for the quiet signs of decline.
Most readmissions don't happen because of a dramatic event. They happen because someone stopped eating, or stopped getting out of bed, or got quietly confused, and nobody noticed for two days. Set a daily check-in — phone call, neighbour visit, caregiver — for the first two weeks minimum.
7. Ask about CDHCI before private-paying for everything.
Many families don't realize Alberta's Client-Directed Home Care Invoicing program may cover part or all of post-hospital home care for eligible clients. It's worth asking. Even if it's not in place for the first week, getting the application going early matters.
If you're in the middle of a discharge right now — or expecting one this week — we can usually arrange short-notice support, including for families just out of Foothills, Rockyview, Peter Lougheed, or South Health Campus. Even a few hours a day for the first week can change the trajectory of a recovery.
info@bonnehaven.com
+1-403-546-3267
www.bonnehaven.com
