New Community Support Program Helps Prepare Patients for Discharge

Patients are occasionally discharged from hospitals without proper clothing. Perhaps they arrived with traumatic injuries, and their garments had to be cut off to treat their wounds; perhaps they are experiencing homelessness and lack sufficient attire. To address this issue, Cleveland Clinic has implemented a special program designed to provide clean, appropriate clothing to patients in need.

“If any patient is leaving the hospital with clothing that is soiled or inadequate for the weather, our Discharge with Dignity program will supply whatever they need to get them home comfortably,” says James Moore, a supervisor in Patient Support Services.

Anticipating basic needs

Early last year, Moore and Jeannie Parrish, also a supervisor in Patient Support Services, read an article on the healthcare system’s intranet about a similar – albeit smaller – program at a behavioral health facility at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. They realized the program could be tailored to address the demand at the institution’s Main Campus.

“We see the need for clothing and other necessities every day as we interact with and treat our patients,” Parrish says. “In the past, caregivers have used their own resources to provide our patients with these items.”

Parrish and Moore applied for and received a Catalyst Grant from Cleveland Clinic to launch and support the Discharge with Dignity program. Any employee at Main Campus who identifies a patient in need can request clothing.

“We want every caregiver to put themselves in the patient’s position,” Parrish says. “No one should be discharged with only hospital socks on their feet – especially when it’s 20 degrees outside.”

Expanding program's reach

Caregivers are encouraged to call an express line or use an online form to request needed items through the Clinical Engineering Department. Items available through Discharge with Dignity include t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, underwear and bras, socks, shoes, coats, hats, gloves, blankets and hygiene kits.

The program has served more than 150 patients since its creation in August 2024, one of whom was suffering with incontinence. Although the man arrived with extra clothes, he soiled both the outfit he was wearing and the backup attire while at the hospital.

“Prior to discharge, his wife came to the front desk in tears and asked if someone could help,” Parrish recalls. “She was so grateful when I told her we had something the patient could wear.”

Getting started

Moore and Parrish offer advice for those who want to start a similar program:

• Get input from caregivers throughout the hospital. “Lots of things can happen that cause patients to need something to wear,” Moore says. “Take the time to reach out to a variety of people who interact with patients on the frontline and get feedback that allows you to address the needs of the highest possible number of patients.”
• Purchase new clothing. “New clothing is preferable to used,” Parrish explains. “Two things happen when you deal with donated clothing: You have to wash them, and you may get sizes and styles you can’t use for your patient population.”
• Stock clothing that meets your patients’ needs. “We thought out a lot of things about our patients and their needs before we decided what to purchase,” Parrish says. “For instance, patients often have swollen feet, so we bought slip-on clogs. They may have incisions, so our sweatpants are loose and don’t have elastic on the legs.”
• Collaborate with supply chain representatives. Moore and Parrish told supply chain staff what items they required, and the department found an approved vendor with affordable, good-quality items for them to select.

While the Discharge with Dignity program is simple, it has a significant impact, addressing three of Cleveland Clinic’s Care Priorities: patients, caregivers and the community.

“Having appropriate clothing when leaving the hospital can improve the patient’s overall hospital experience, allowing them to feel comfortable and empowered,” Parrish says. “We remove the anxiety and stress that caregivers feel while caring for those whose basic needs are unmet, and we assist those who make up our community by preserving their dignity as they leave our care.”