Discharge planning begins upon the patient’s admission and continues until discharge. This describes which planning activity?

• A. Preadmission planning
• B. Inpatient care planning
• C. Discharge planning
• D. Home care planning

Answer: (C)

Discharge planning is the ongoing process of preparing a patient for a safe transition from the hospital to home or another care setting, starting at admission and continuing through to discharge. This approach ensures that post‑hospital needs—such as medications, follow-up appointments, equipment, home safety, and caregiver support—are identified early and arranged ahead of time, reducing the risk of complications or readmission.

Preadmission planning happens before the hospital stay, usually for scheduled admissions. Inpatient care planning focuses on the clinical management during the hospital stay, not the transition after discharge. Home care planning centers on arranging services after discharge. The concept described is the continuous planning from admission to discharge, i.e., discharge planning.