Planning your return home

When will I be discharged?

Depending on your procedure, your hospital stay may be brief and you leave on the same day as your operation, or you may be in hospital for 4-5 days for a hip or knee replacement. The general criteria you can use to estimate when you are ready for discharge includes:

• If you can independently get in and out of bed
• If you can get yourself to the bathroom and around the ward safely with or without a walking aid
• If you can manage as many stairs as you have at home
• If you can perform personal hygiene tasks independently, and
• If you have someone at home to help you with everyday tasks

If you are unable to perform the above tasks safely, then your condition may require you to go to a rehabilitation facility. You may be at the rehabilitation facility for 2 days to 2 weeks, until you are able to perform the tasks as listed above.