Home from Hospital
Home care after a hospital or rehab discharge
Westmark's Home from Hospital plan covers the first weeks after a discharge with 4-hour care visits at $44 an hour, urgent starts within 24–48 hours, and short-notice cover when the discharge date moves. A caregiver helps with bathing, meals, safe walking and medication reminders while the home health nurse handles the clinical side. It starts with a free in-home assessment and a written plan. No deposits, no contracts.
Why the first two weeks matter
The days right after a discharge are when things most often go wrong at home. Someone is weaker than they were before the hospital, on new medications, and expected to manage stairs, a shower and meals without the call button. Family members take time off work for the first few days, then have to go back.
A caregiver in the house for those weeks closes that gap. They are there for the first shower, the first trip up the stairs and the first night's medication, and they call you if something looks off.
If your discharge is from Lahey Hospital in Burlington, Lowell General, Winchester Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, one of the Boston hospitals or a local rehab center, we cover those towns. Call with the discharge date and we will plan around it.
What the caregiver does
Hands-on, non-medical help for the hours a nurse or therapist is not there.
Safe movement
Help getting out of bed, to the bathroom, up the stairs and in and out of the shower, following the therapist's instructions.
Bathing and dressing
Personal care done with patience and privacy, especially while a new hip, knee or incision heals.
Meals and fluids
Cooking to the discharge diet, keeping water within reach, and noting if someone is not eating.
Medication reminders
Reminders on the schedule the doctor set, handing over a prepared dose, and telling you if doses are missed.
Home set up
Clearing walkways, moving essentials within reach, and setting up the bedroom downstairs if needed.
Updates to family
A short report after visits, and a call straight away if something changes.
Westmark is non-medical. Wound care, injections, IVs and medication administration need a nurse. If a home health agency is coming, our caregiver works alongside them and covers the hours between their visits.
How it works
Call before discharge if you can
Ring (508) 233-8062 with the expected discharge date. Families, discharge planners and case managers can all call. No doctor's order is needed.
Free in-home assessment
A coordinator visits the home, or talks it through by phone if you are still at the hospital, and looks at stairs, bathroom and bedroom.
Written plan and price
You get the visits, hours and cost in writing before anything starts.
Caregiver starts
Usually within 24–48 hours of the call, and on the day of discharge when we have notice.
Step down when ready
As recovery settles, reduce visits, switch to standard visits, or stop. No contract holds you.
What it costs
| Option | Rate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Post-discharge block (4 hours) | $44/hour | One 4-hour visit a day = $176/day |
| Standard personal care (6-hour minimum) | $38/hour | One 6-hour visit = $228 |
| Booked with under 24 hours' notice | +$4/hour | Applies to the short-notice shift only |
| Weekends and holidays | +$3/hour | Shown on the rate card |
No deposits, enrollment fees or long-term contracts. See all prices on the rates page.
Discharge-day checklist
Ask for these before you leave the hospital.
- The written discharge instructions, and who to call with questions after hours
- An updated medication list showing what is new, what changed and what stopped
- New prescriptions filled, or a plan for who picks them up today
- Follow-up appointments booked, with dates and transport arranged
- Equipment ordered: walker, shower chair, raised toilet seat, commode
- Whether home health (nurse or therapist) has been ordered, and when the first visit is
- Activity limits in writing: stairs, lifting, bathing, driving
- Warning signs that mean call the doctor or 911
Questions families ask
Can you start quickly after a hospital discharge?
Yes. Westmark offers a 4-hour post-discharge block at $44 an hour for the first weeks home, and urgent starts within 24 to 48 hours. Care booked with less than 24 hours' notice adds $4 an hour. Every start follows a free in-home assessment. Tell us the discharge date when you call and we will work to it.
How long can we use the 4-hour post-discharge block?
The 4-hour block is for the first weeks after someone comes home from hospital or rehab. Once recovery settles, most families move to standard visits, which have a six-hour minimum, or stop care altogether. There is no contract, so you can change or stop at any time.
Does Medicare pay for home care after a hospital stay?
Medicare can cover short-term skilled home health after a qualifying hospital stay, meaning visits from a nurse or therapist. It does not cover non-medical caregivers for bathing, meals, supervision or companionship. Many families use both: home health for the clinical visits, Westmark for the hours in between.
Can a Westmark caregiver change dressings or give medication after surgery?
No. Westmark is non-medical. Caregivers give medication reminders, can hand over a prepared dose, and report anything that looks wrong, but wound care, injections and medication administration need a nurse or home health agency.
Can a discharge planner or case manager refer directly?
Yes. Discharge planners, case managers and social workers can call (508) 233-8062, answered 24/7, or use our page for professionals. No physician's order is needed for non-medical home care.