Travel Assistance for Patients Returning Home
Helping patients get home safely
Leaving the hospital is an important milestone, but it doesn't always mean the journey home will be straightforward.
Many patients are medically stable enough to travel but still require assistance getting from the hospital to their final destination. Fatigue, reduced mobility, recent surgery, medical equipment, oxygen requirements, or ongoing treatment can make commercial travel more challenging than it would be under normal circumstances.
Portage helps bridge the gap between hospital discharge and arriving home safely.
Travel is part of the recovery
Recovering from an illness or injury takes energy.
Navigating a busy airport, managing luggage, coordinating medications, or dealing with travel disruptions can quickly become overwhelming for someone who has recently left the hospital.
Our role is to manage the journey so the traveller can focus on their recovery.
Depending on the patient's needs, we provide either an experienced travel companion or a licensed healthcare professional to accompany them throughout the trip.
Common Situations
Discharged from hospital in another province
Returning home after surgery
Travelling after rehabilitation
Medical repatriation from another country
Returning to a long-term care or assisted living residence
Travelling home with oxygen or mobility equipment
Planned before the journey begins
Safe travel starts with good planning.
Before travel, we work with the patient, their family, and, when appropriate, the healthcare team to understand the traveller's condition, review the itinerary, and identify any special requirements.
This may include arranging airline assistance, coordinating mobility equipment, reviewing oxygen requirements, planning medication management, or ensuring a safe handover at the destination.
Every journey is individually planned based on the traveller's needs.
Clinical support when required
Some patients simply need an extra pair of hands.
Others require ongoing clinical care throughout the journey.
When appropriate, our registered nurses and advanced care paramedics provide medical support during commercial travel, with physician oversight available for more medically complex situations.
We'll recommend the level of support that's appropriate for the traveller and the journey.
Supporting a wide range of journeys
We regularly assist patients who are:
Returning home after hospitalization.
Travelling home following rehabilitation.
Returning after specialized medical treatment.
Relocating closer to family.
Travelling between healthcare facilities.
Returning to another province or country following illness or injury.
Whether the destination is across the city or across the world, our goal is the same: helping patients complete the journey safely and comfortably.
Working with families and healthcare teams
Successful patient travel often involves many people.
We regularly coordinate with hospitals, discharge planners, physicians, nurses, social workers, insurers, assistance companies, and family members to ensure everyone understands the travel plan before the journey begins.
Throughout the trip, we provide communication at key milestones so families and care teams know the patient is progressing safely toward their destination.
A safe journey home
Returning home is often one of the most meaningful steps in the recovery process.
We're here to help make sure the journey is as carefully planned and professionally managed as the care that came before it.