Patient Guide - Patient Discharge | Cooper University Hospital - World-Class Healthcare for South Jersey, Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley

Some patients need help after they leave the hospital. With proper planning many patients can leave the hospital earlier and recover comfortably at home. All members of the health care team are responsible for helping with the discharge planning process.

Our staff can be of special help in arranging home care or continued care in another specialized facility including arrangements for:

home care, skilled nursing care, hospice care
outpatient physical, speech and occupational therapy
medical equipment
medical transportation
home meal programs
referrals to a variety of community agencies

Discharge Procedures

Your physician will determine when you may be discharged. To complete the discharge process, please observe the following procedures:

While discharge times vary from patient to patient, please be aware that it may occur as early as 8 a.m. and we advise patients to make transportation arrangements accordingly. In addition, due to the nature of the process, your discharge time may be significantly later in the day and we appreciate you and your family's flexibility regarding scheduling transportation.
On the day you are discharged, you or a member of your family should go to the Cashier’s Office located in the Pavilion lobby. This office is open 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The cashier will give you a discharge slip indicating that financial arrangements have been made.
Before you leave, be sure you understand any instructions regarding medications or follow-up office visits.
Don't forget to check all drawers, cabinets, and night stands before leaving to make sure you have all your belongings. The hospital cannot be responsible for personal property left behind. Also, remember to claim any valuables that were kept in the hospital safe by presenting your valuables receipt to the cashier.
When you are ready to leave, hospital personnel will escort you to the exit.
If someone is picking you up, they can park free in the parking garage while assisting with your discharge.

Patient Surveys

We are interested in your opinion of the services we provide to our patients. Please be advised that in order to assess our patient services, Cooper employs a market research service to contact patients regarding their satisfaction with our services. We urge you to fully report your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with your stay at Cooper. Thank you for your time and assistance.