Coming home from hospital: the checklist
What to organise before and just after an older relative comes home.
Before discharge
- Talk to the hospital’s social service: they help organise the return home.
- Ask the doctor for the prescriptions needed (nursing, physiotherapy, equipment): without a prescription the CNS normally does not reimburse this care.
- Contact a home-care network early: some networks visit the hospital or the home beforehand to prepare the return.
The first days at home
- Care: the network or a nurse visits as prescribed (dressings, injections, medicines).
- Physiotherapy: at home if the person cannot go out.
- Meals: ask your commune about meals on wheels.
- Safety: a personal alarm lets someone call for help after a fall. In Luxembourg, Sécher Doheem, Help24 and, in the capital, the SOS Seniors service offer one.
If help is needed for longer
If help will be needed for more than 6 months, apply for long-term care insurance straight away: benefits only count from the day the complete application arrives.
Taking a break
Day centres (45 in Luxembourg) and short-stay beds in nursing homes give caring families a break.
Sources
- infosenior.lu – réseau d’aides et de soins : préparation du retour à domicile
- Ministère de la Famille – Verzeichnis der Dienste für Senioren (mai 2025)
- guichet.lu – Assurance dépendance : demande de prise en charge
Checked on 26.10.2026. This page does not replace official advice.