Your discharge from the LUMC

Meals

Are you unable to cook or shop for groceries yourself? Then have meals delivered to your home. Many supermarkets offer a delivery service. You can obtain information about meal providers in your area from your local municipality.

Assistive devices

Assistive devices, such as a wheelchair, can be picked up at a home care store in your area. Alternatively, you may request someone else to do so on your behalf. Some assistive devices require a rental fee.

Do you sleep upstairs and expect that you will not be able to climb the stairs after your admission? Then make sure there is a bed downstairs. You can also rent a bed at your own expense from the home care shop. The Transfer Bureau can arrange a high-low bed for you if there is a medical necessity. This means that care, nursing, or treatment in bed is necessary.

When picking up the aids, you will need to present valid ID and a health insurance card for the person for whom the aids are intended. For some aids, such as crutches, a walker, or a walking frame, you will have to pay a rental fee. It may be cheaper to buy these aids yourself (second-hand) or borrow them temporarily from someone else.

Domestic help

You (or a family member) can apply for domestic help from your municipality. The application for domestic help can take a few weeks.

Every municipality has a WMO desk where you (or a family member) can discuss your situation and apply for help. You will then receive help under the Social Support Act. You will always pay a personal contribution.

Alarm button

You can request a personal alarm from your health insurer, home care organization, or home care store. You will then receive an alarm button that you can use to alert a monitoring center 24 hours a day. Requesting a personal alarm can take a few days to weeks, so be sure to request it in good time.

Transportation

It is best to arrange your transportation home or to another healthcare facility in advance. Check with your health insurer to see if taxi fare will be reimbursed.

If you have any questions about transportation upon discharge from the hospital, please ask the nurse in the nursing ward where you are admitted. Ambulance transportation is only possible if there is a medical necessity. The nursing ward will determine whether this is the case.

Personal budget

Do you already have a personal budget (pgb) for care or nursing prior to admission? If so, the Transfer Bureau can advise you on care. We cannot actively mediate, nor can we apply for a pgb on your behalf. You must do this through your municipality or health insurer.

District nursing / Home care

Do you still need care at home after your discharge? For example, wound care or medication via an IV? Then the transfer nurse will help you arrange this.

The care requested by the transfer nurse is always temporary. The district nurse will determine together with you (and sometimes also with the treating physician at the LUMC) how long home care is needed.

Rehabilitation

After your admission, you may need to undergo further rehabilitation before you can return home. There are various forms of rehabilitation:

Specialized medical rehabilitation

This is an intensive form of rehabilitation. After consultation with your treating physician, the rehabilitation physician at the LUMC will register you with a rehabilitation center.

Geriatric rehabilitation care

You will receive this rehabilitation care in the rehabilitation department of a nursing home or rehabilitation hotel. The transfer nurse will discuss the options with you.

Not all nursing homes offer this type of rehabilitation. We always try to find a location that you would like to go to. For your recovery, it is important that you start rehabilitation as soon as possible. It is therefore not possible to wait at the LUMC until a place becomes available at your preferred nursing home.

Temporary stay in a care facility

Are you unable to go home immediately after your discharge? For example, because you first need to recover or require intensive care? In that case, the Transfer Bureau will help you find a temporary place in a nursing or care home. This is also referred to as a recovery place. A recovery place is intended for a short period, in principle a maximum of 6 weeks. The aim is for you to be able to return home as soon as possible.

If you are not eligible for a stay in a nursing or care home, but would still like to stay somewhere temporarily after your admission, a private care hotel may be an option for you. Ask your health insurer how much you will have to pay for this yourself.

Long-term stay in a care facility

After your admission, you may not be able to return home and may require long-term admission to a care facility. This will then be paid for under the Long-Term Care Act (Wlz). The Care Assessment Center (CIZ) will assess whether the care you need meets certain conditions. They will then assign an indication. This is a decision that you are entitled to long-term care. 

• It is often not possible to move into your preferred home immediately. A temporary place will then be sought in another nursing home. This may not be in your region.
• For care under the Wlz, you pay a monthly income-related contribution. The Central Administration Office (CAK) calculates this contribution based on information known to the Tax and Customs Administration. You can also calculate this yourself on their website.
• If you were already living (temporarily or permanently) in a nursing home or care home before your admission to the LUMC, you will return there after your discharge.

Care for children under the age of 18

For children, being admitted to hospital is a traumatic experience. They often need follow-up care after hospitalization. As a parent, you have a duty of care toward your child. The nursing ward where your child is hospitalized will always check whether you can provide the follow-up care your child needs. If nursing care is needed at home that the parents cannot provide themselves, your child can receive care from a pediatric home care organization.

Palliative terminal care

Palliative terminal care is care provided during the final stage of life. If your doctor has informed you that you have a short life expectancy, the transfer nurse will discuss this with you, your family, and your loved ones. We will discuss the various care options that suit your wishes and situation.

Sometimes it is not possible to spend the final phase of life at home. In that case, you can go to a hospice or a palliative care unit in a nursing home. The Transfer Office can help you with this. Check with your health insurer to see if there are any costs you will have to pay yourself for your stay.

Care or problems prior to admission to LUMC

LUMC can only arrange aftercare for you for care that arose during your admission to LUMC. If you experience problems prior to admission to the hospital or are dissatisfied with your living situation, LUMC cannot mediate in this matter.

Useful links

• Rijksoverheid.nl: information about healthcare regulations
• CIZ: information about care assessments
• Het CAK: information about income-related healthcare contributions
• Mezzo: practical and emotional support for informal caregivers