Coming home from the hospital
Coming home from St. Luke's University Hospital–Bethlehem
St. Luke's campuses stretch from Allentown to Coaldale. Whichever one your parent is leaving, the first day home is the one that matters most.
Care arranged before discharge from any St. Luke's campus in our service area.
Help through the door, the first meal, the first night.
Medication reminders per the discharge plan and rides to St. Luke's follow-up appointments.
Coordination with the home health agency St. Luke's arranges.
Daytime, overnight or 24-hour coverage for the first weeks, stepping down as strength returns.
Before discharge
- Ask the case manager what the first two weeks will require and which home health services are ordered.
- Call us with the date and the home address. St. Luke’s patients go home across four counties; the address tells us which caregivers are closest.
- Prepare the house: first-floor sleeping if needed, clear paths, a chair with arms, prescriptions filled ahead.
- Choose the coverage: daytime, overnight, or 24-hour for the first week.
The first days home
The caregiver meets your parent at the house, helps them settle, prepares a meal, sets up the medication schedule per the discharge instructions, and stays through the evening or overnight. Then bathing help, breakfast, a first walk, reminders for the therapy exercises, a ride to the follow-up, and a daily note to the family. Skilled visits come from the home health agency St. Luke’s arranges.
Where St. Luke’s patients go home to
Bethlehem, Fountain Hill, Hellertown and Bethlehem Township; Easton, Wilson, Palmer and Forks; Nazareth, Bath and the Slate Belt; Allentown and the Lehigh County suburbs; Lehighton, Palmerton and the Panther Valley; Tamaqua and the eastern Schuylkill boroughs. See our county pages for Northampton, Lehigh, Carbon and Schuylkill.
Other situations we help with
Coming home from the hospital
The hospital wants the bed. The discharge planner says someone needs to be home. You have a job, kids, and maybe a two-hour drive. This is the situation we are built for.
After surgery
A hip, a knee, a heart, a back. The surgeon says recovery at home is fine as long as someone is there. You want to say yes to that. Here is how to make it true.
Overnight care
Days are manageable. Nights are not. Bathroom trips at 2 a.m., wandering, confusion, or a spouse who has not had an unbroken night's sleep in a year. An overnight caregiver changes the whole household.
Long-distance family
You call every day. You visit when you can. But the weekly drive is not enough anymore, and every unanswered phone call sends your stomach through the floor. You need someone local you can trust.
Frequently asked questions
Are you affiliated with St. Luke's?
Which St. Luke's campuses do your families come home from?
Many of us live in New Jersey. Can you coordinate with a family across the river?
This article is general information for Pennsylvania families and is not medical, legal, financial, or insurance advice. It's Your Home Care is a non-medical home care agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health; we do not provide skilled nursing or medical services. Program rules and eligibility change; confirm details with the agency or program named, your physician, or a qualified advisor before making decisions.
Talk to a care coordinator who knows Northampton County
Tell us what is happening at home. We will explain your options, including what private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, and Pennsylvania waiver programs may cover, and schedule an in-home care consultation when you are ready.