Paperwork
The Doctor's Order Has to Reach the Supplier: Check the Written Order, the Signature, and the Delivery Date
Some home equipment does not ship on a phone call, so confirm what the order needs, who signs it, and whether the supplier has it before your parent goes home.
Some equipment your parent needs at home cannot be delivered on a verbal promise. For certain items, the supplier needs a written order from the doctor treating your parent, and that order has to name the item and the reason it is needed. If the paper is missing or incomplete, delivery can slip by days or arrive without the piece you were counting on. This is the paperwork to check while the discharge team is still in the building.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Start with the hospital
Ask the discharge team which items the doctor ordered for home use, and whether each order was written, signed, and sent. Ask who sends it and to which company. Write down the answer and the name of the person who gave it to you. If the answer is vague, ask the same question again the next morning, before the discharge paperwork is finished.
Confirm with the supplier
Call the company that will deliver the item. Do not accept 'we have it' as the whole answer. Ask whether they have received the doctor's order for that specific item, and if they have not, ask what they need, who they need it from, and by what day. Ask them to confirm the answer by email or text so you have a record.
Ask whether they bill Medicare for this item or whether you pay them directly. Ask what you will owe if the order is not accepted or the item is not covered. Get that answer in writing. The Medicare.gov pages on durable medical equipment explain how coverage and supplier billing work, and the rules differ by item, so check the specific item you are getting rather than assuming the rule for another one.
Ask whether delivery is set for a day and a time window, and whether someone must be home to receive it and sign the delivery slip. If you cannot be there, decide now who will be.
If the item is a rental or a loan
Ask for a copy of the agreement before the item arrives. The agreement tells you who owns it, how long you keep it, how it is picked up, and who answers if it fails. Those terms are a separate read from the order, so do not let the delivery date pull your attention away from them.
When it arrives
Compare the item on the delivery paper with what the doctor ordered. Check the type, the size, and the model if one is listed. If anything does not match, write it on the delivery slip before you sign, and take a photo of the slip. Keep the order, the delivery slip, and the agreement in the same folder.
Who to call when the paper is missing
The hospital discharge planner or the nurse on the unit can confirm whether the order was sent. The doctor's office can resend it. The supplier can tell you what they still need. Keep these three numbers on one page. The Local Help After a Discharge page lists where to start in St. Louis if the supplier cannot be reached.
For the rules on written orders and supplier billing, the Sources page lists the Medicare and CMS pages this desk uses. Read the page for your item, and bring any questions you cannot answer back to the discharge team before your parent leaves the hospital.