Hospital Discharge Without Stable Housing

• Call Coordinated Shelter Access

  If discharge is to no fixed address, Louisville's shelter reservation line is (502) 637-2337, published as open daily 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A hospital social worker or patient can call before the discharge time.

• Check Medicaid post-discharge extras & mealsAsk the member number on your current Medicaid plan card about post-discharge meals, medical transportation, and care management. Current coverage, eligibility, request windows, and approval require confirmation with your plan.

1 more online actions remain in the full online guide. This two-sheet packet keeps the first actions and a bounded handoff; it does not change or delete the authored guide.

• ☐A charger
• ☐Water and snacks where permitted

• ☐ Written discharge instructions

  They record the treating team’s current care and follow-up instructions.

  If you do not have it: Ask the hospital how to receive an accessible copy and whom to contact about missing or unclear instructions.

  Worth asking about — not confirmed: Ask the receiving provider which discharge record it needs; do not send medical records to NOLO.

• ☐ Medication, prescription, equipment, and referral list

  Each item may require a separate handoff or confirmation.

  If you do not have it: Ask the treating team to correct the list and identify the contact responsible for each unresolved item.

  Worth asking about — not confirmed: Ask the treating or receiving professional what written record can be reviewed safely.

4 more preparation details remain in the full online guide. This two-sheet packet keeps the first actions and a bounded handoff; it does not change or delete the authored guide.

1. 1.What care, medication, equipment, mobility, or follow-up need continues after discharge?
2. 2.Is the proposed destination actually confirmed and able to address those needs?
3. 3.Who is the discharge-planning contact, and how can they be reached?

Before leaving the counter, ask: “Is there anything else that could prevent this application from being approved today?”

2 more questions remain in the full online guide. This two-sheet packet keeps the first actions and a bounded handoff; it does not change or delete the authored guide.

• ☐ Kentucky Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation

  instructions

  Arrange Medicaid transportation for follow-up appointments: Use Kentucky's official instructions to identify your regional broker. Non-emergency medical transportation requires at least 72 hours advance notice.

  Gather:

  Coverage and trip requirements are case-specific and controlled by Medicaid and the broker.

  Access or submit:

  Contact the current regional route identified by the official page.

  Checked:

  2026-08-04

  https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dms/member/Pages/Medical-Transportation.aspx

  Limit: The page does not confirm member eligibility, a trip, broker assignment, seat, pickup, or reservation window.

  If unavailable: If unavailable, report the broken destination and contact the official owner.

2 more official form records remain in the full online guide. This two-sheet packet keeps the first actions and a bounded handoff; it does not change or delete the authored guide.

1. 1.Recheck the location, hours, appointment rules, and current document instructions before leaving.
2. 2.Keep originals and copies organized, and ask before handing over the only copy you have.
3. 3.At the counter, explain what is missing and ask what replacement or workaround evidence can be reviewed.

2 more before-you-go steps remain in the full online guide. This two-sheet packet keeps the first actions and a bounded handoff; it does not change or delete the authored guide.

• A referral was sent but no receiving program has confirmed acceptance.

  • → Ask who will verify acceptance and what the written fallback plan is if the referral is declined or unavailable.

• A proposed shelter or location may not support the person’s care or mobility needs.

  • → Describe the specific need to the hospital team and proposed provider and ask each to confirm its role.

• → Ask the treating team what safe interim plan it can document if no receiving placement is confirmed.
• → Use the emergency panel for immediate medical danger and continue housing navigation as a separate track.

2 more fallback details remain in the full online guide. This two-sheet packet keeps the first actions and a bounded handoff; it does not change or delete the authored guide.

• 911: Immediate danger or medical emergency. Call 911.
• 988: Mental health, emotional distress, suicide, or substance-use crisis. Call or text 988.
• Kentucky 211: Housing, food, utilities, transportation, and community services. Dial 211. Or text your ZIP code to 898211. Kentucky 211 answers 24/7.
• Never Use Alone: Overdose-response spotting when using alone. Call 800-484-3731. Or 877-696-1996. If an overdose is already happening, call 911.

• The Coalition for the Homeless operates Coordinated Shelter Access, Louisville's front door for emergency shelter reservations. Its published route is (502) 637-2337, daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or csa@louhomeless.org. The office at 1300 S. 4th Street #250 is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Coalition publishes that Coordinated Shelter Access is closed on New Year's Day, MLK Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, and that on those days a person should go directly to a single-adult emergency shelter — it also states that family shelters do not accept walk-ins. This route does not establish that a bed is available.

  Source: Coalition for the Homeless (Louisville) — Get Help — checked 2026-08-05

  https://louhomeless.org/news/gethelp/

Other routes for this situation are not verified yet. Absence from this list means NOLO has not checked it — not that it does not exist.

• • Medical readiness, level of care, medication, equipment, and follow-up decisions
• • Referral acceptance, respite or shelter capacity, admission criteria, and accessibility

• • This guide does not make a legal, medical, safety, eligibility, or discharge decision.
• • A search result does not confirm funding, capacity, acceptance, or availability.

1 more limits and agency decisions remain in the full online guide. This two-sheet packet keeps the first actions and a bounded handoff; it does not change or delete the authored guide.