Preparing to bring a patient into a home care situation is very important. The exact preparations will be dictated by the condition for which the patient is being treated, but there are some common practices that will make sure that all is truly ready. Long before the patient is ever transitioned home a conversation needs to begin between the physicians and the caregiver. Questions need to be asked about the daily specifics of care, the exact specifics of the condition, what equipment should be in the home, and where to obtain those specialized requirements. Everything needs to be ready and in place before the patient is brought to the new living arrangements.

These preparations will include a proper bed, if a hospital bed is needed, and all external equipment changes. That means any modifications to the home the patient is coming to need to be done prior to the patient's arrival. Often bathrooms need modifications and for homes with stairs to the front and back doors - ramps will need to be built and installed if mobility is an issue. If the patient needs a hospital style bed it should already be purchased and present in the room the patient will be staying in. Monitoring equipment if needed should also already be there, tested, and functional with the care provider understanding the operation of those various devices. One full month of any additional supplies should be on hand.

There is one factor that must be weighed with complete honesty with one's self. The person considering long term care of a loved one at home must be honest with themselves about their ability to do that. Will they be able to provide the level of care needed? Will they be able to handle the strain both on their personal lives and their finances that comes with this decision? Will they have reliable support from family or an outside source of help? Are they mentally and potentially physically strong enough to cope with the needs of the patient? These questions must be dealt with, and they must be dealt with honestly. The goal of bringing a person into at home care is to provide for them, and one must be absolutely certain they are capable of doing that physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. Brutal honesty in each phase of this decision will make sure that the correct decision has been made.