Care after surgery while you are in Georgia: a nurse, a caregiver and equipment at your hotel or apartment
Between discharge from the clinic and your flight home there are often several days or weeks, which you spend in a hotel or a rented apartment. For this period we arrange visits by a licensed nurse, a caregiver for everyday help and short-term equipment: a wheelchair, a walking frame, an adjustable bed. Everything follows the treating doctor's written plan, because medical decisions are made neither by us nor by the caregiver. We speak with you in English and Russian, and in other languages through an interpreter.
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Following the discharge planThe nurse and caregiver do what the doctor has written down
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Hotel or apartmentCare wherever you stay until your flight
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The clinic one call awayWe know whom to call at night and at weekends
In short: care from discharge to your flight
- At discharge, we ask the clinic for a written plan: what needs to be done each day, on which days you must attend follow-up appointments and which number to call at any hour.
- A nurse carries out the medical procedures the doctor has prescribed; a caregiver helps with everyday tasks and does not perform procedures.
- We choose the hotel or apartment with life after surgery in mind: a lift, a step-free shower, a short journey to the clinic.
- We hire equipment for short periods, deliver it to your address and return it before your flight.
- In a life-threatening situation, call 112 first and only then contact us.
- Medical decisions, including medicine doses and assessing a wound, are made only by a doctor.
Who does what after discharge?
When you are recovering in a hotel room in a foreign country, the most important thing is to know whom to turn to with a particular question. The table shows the four people involved and the limits of their roles.
| Who | What they do | What they do not do |
|---|---|---|
| The treating clinic and doctor | Draw up the care plan, prescribe medicines, see you for follow-up, assess your symptoms, decide when you can fly | Do not usually come to the hotel; do not deal with everyday practical matters |
| A licensed nurse | Gives injections and wound care on the doctor's written prescription, takes readings and reports changes to the doctor | Does not change doses or add medicines without a prescription; does not replace a consultation with the doctor |
| A caregiver | Helps you get up, with hygiene, dressing and meals, accompanies you to follow-up appointments, reminds you when to take your medicines | Does not give injections, does not remove dressings, does not assess your condition |
| Solidaroba.ge, the coordinator | Selects and arranges the nurse, caregiver and equipment, books visits, keeps you in touch with the clinic, arranges an interpreter | Does not make medical decisions and does not tell you whether you need to see a doctor |
If the doctor considers that you still need constant medical supervision, the right answer is to stay in hospital, not a nurse at a hotel. In that case we adapt the plan to the doctor's decision and do not try to replace the clinic with hotel-based services. The detailed procedure for selecting a caregiver and nurse, with a trial day and a back-up candidate, is described on our caregiver and nurse service page.
A hotel or a rented apartment: what should be checked after surgery?
The same room can be convenient for a tourist and very inconvenient after an operation. That is why we check the accommodation together with the care plan, not afterwards.
- Access. A lift, an entrance without steps, doors wide enough for a wheelchair, a place for the car to stop at the entrance when you go to follow-up appointments.
- Bathroom. A shower rather than a bath, with no step and with grab rails; if there are none, we add a shower chair and a grab rail to the equipment list.
- Room for a caregiver. If you need a caregiver at night too, there must be a second bed or an adjoining room; some hotels count this as an additional guest.
- The hotel's agreement. We agree in advance with the hotel management that an adjustable bed can be brought in, that a nurse will visit regularly and that an oxygen machine will be used, so that there are no surprises on the spot.
- Kitchen. If the doctor has prescribed a diet, an apartment with a kitchen is often more practical than a hotel menu.
- Distance to the clinic. The closer you are, the easier follow-up visits are and, if needed, a quick return.
You will find the general booking arrangements, including for companions, on our accommodation page.
Short-term equipment: what is hired most often and how it is returned
No one brings a wheelchair or a bed from home, so we hire equipment for a few days or weeks and deliver it straight to your hotel or apartment. The most common requests are a wheelchair, a walking frame or crutches, a raised toilet seat, a shower chair and an adjustable bed. We arrange an oxygen concentrator only on a doctor's prescription, because the doctor sets the flow and the regime. We explain how models are chosen on our medical equipment hire page.
We tie the collection date to your flight date: you often need the wheelchair as far as the airport, so we return it on the morning of departure or ask the airport assistance service for one of its own wheelchairs. If the doctor considers that you will need oxygen during the flight, that requires a separate permission from the airline, which we cover on our returning home page.
When should you call the clinic, and when 112?
The answer to this question comes from your doctor, not from us. Our job is to make sure you have that answer before discharge, in writing and in a language you understand.
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A list of warning signs
Before discharge, we ask the doctor to write down which symptoms mean calling the clinic and which mean calling an ambulance. We translate the list and leave it somewhere visible in your room, for the caregiver as well.
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A number that answers at night too
We confirm whom to call at the clinic in the evening, at night and at weekends, and whether they will take a call in English or Russian. If not, we arrange telephone interpreting at agreed hours.
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112 in a life-threatening situation
112 is Georgia's single emergency number for ambulance, police and fire services; it is free from any phone and works around the clock. In such a situation, call 112 first, then the clinic and us.
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Checking your insurance in advance
Georgia's state Universal Healthcare Programme does not cover foreign visitors, so hospital care is paid by you or your insurer. We check whether your policy covers complications of planned treatment, because travel policies often exclude them.
What we do not do, and why
The coordinator is the person a patient talks to most often, so they are frequently asked medical questions. We do not answer them, not because we do not want to help, but because a wrong answer is dangerous.
- We do not assess a wound from a photo or say whether it "looks normal". With your consent, we send the photo to the treating doctor.
- We do not change the dose, timing or type of a medicine, nor do we allow the caregiver to do so.
- We do not decide whether a follow-up visit can be postponed or whether you can fly earlier: both are the doctor's decision.
- We do not give a caregiver a nurse's work, even if it would be cheaper.
- We do not pay the clinic's bill on your behalf and do not promise any particular payment method: we confirm how to pay with the provider in advance.
If the nurse or caregiver cannot speak your language, we arrange a medical interpreter for everyday communication, by phone or in person. You will find all our other services for international patients on the Treatment in Georgia main page, and the full list of care services on our post-operative care page.
Frequently asked questions about care after discharge
Do I need a nurse, a caregiver or both?
Your discharge plan determines this. If the doctor has prescribed injections, wound care or another procedure, you need a nurse, usually on a visiting basis, once or twice a day. If you need help getting up, showering, dressing or getting to follow-up appointments, that is a caregiver's job. Many patients need both for a few days and then only one. If the plan does not make this clear, we ask the clinic rather than asking you to guess. A family member travelling with you often takes on the caregiver's role, and the nurse comes only for procedures.
What languages do the nurse and caregiver speak?
In Georgia, care staff mainly speak Georgian, many also speak Russian, while English is less common. When we select a candidate, language is our first criterion, and we tell you exactly which language you will be able to use with them. If we cannot find someone who shares a language with you, we offer two solutions: simple bilingual cards for everyday situations, and an interpreter by phone for important conversations, for example when the nurse passes on new instructions from the doctor. Medical instructions should never have to be understood through gestures.
Can a nurse remove stitches or change a dressing in my hotel room?
That depends on what the treating doctor writes. Some doctors do these procedures at the clinic, in their own consulting room, so that they can see the wound themselves; others entrust dressing changes to a nurse and remove stitches only at the follow-up visit. A nurse does only what is written in the prescription, and if anything raises a concern, they call the doctor rather than deciding themselves. We confirm this division before discharge, so that you know in advance which visits will be at the clinic and which in your room.
What happens if the caregiver does not turn up or you do not get on?
Every plan includes a back-up person, because being left without a caregiver after surgery in an unfamiliar city is a serious problem. If the caregiver does not arrive, you call us and we send a replacement the same day, if possible, or find another temporary solution. If you do not get on, you can ask for a replacement without giving a reason. The same rule applies to the nurse, except that the new nurse receives the current prescription and the notes from previous visits, so that care continues without a break.
Can a family member travelling with me learn the care so they can continue at home?
Yes, and we often recommend it. We ask the nurse to show your companion, during the last visits, how to help the patient get up, how to check a dressing and how to record the readings the doctor asks for. Which procedures a family member may be taught is up to the doctor; some are done only by a professional. We schedule the training a few days before the flight, so that your companion can try it several times themselves with the nurse present. That makes the first days back home much less daunting.
What comes after care in Georgia
- Rehabilitation and spa resorts Clinical rehabilitation or a resort stay, if your treating doctor recommends it.
- Medical documents for home Discharge summary, translation and apostille for the doctor and insurer in your country.
- Medicines during treatment and travel Prescriptions in Georgia and taking medicines home.
Everything in place by the day of discharge
Send us your discharge date and the doctor's recommendation. We will arrange the nurse, caregiver and equipment at your address before you leave the clinic.