Household chores
After your discharge from hospital, you may not yet be able to cook, shop, clean or perform other household tasks. If you cannot rely on people close to you, you can hire professional help for all household chores (family or elderly care) or just for cleaning (cleaning help).
Apply for these services before your admission so that help is immediately available when you return home. For some help, you have to take into account waiting lists.
For more information on home care services, contact the social service of your health insurance fund, the CPAS or the hospital social worker.
Meals and groceries
Organised services (e.g. through your health insurance fund) or a local caterer can deliver meals to your home. You can also get frozen meals or prepared meals from a shop.
Local grocers are often willing to bring your groceries to your home. Arrange this in advance. Several department stores also deliver to your home.
Aids
After a stay in hospital, you may need aids. They can help you with daily activities and improve your quality of life. For example, if you cannot do stairs and your bedroom is upstairs, you can borrow a hospital bed.
If you need crutches, a walker, a wheelchair or other aids, it is best to make sure you have them before you are discharged from hospital. You can find these aids at your health insurance fund's home care shop.
Home nursing and physiotherapy
You can request home care from organised services or an independent nurse in your neighbourhood. You can also ask a physiotherapist in your neighbourhood for physiotherapy. You can obtain addresses from your GP, the social services of your health insurance fund, the CPAS or the hospital's Patient social services.
You can find more information on self-employed home nurses at www.vbzv.be, the website of the Flemish Professional Association for Self-employed Nurses. For more information on physiotherapists, visit www.kinesitherapie.be.