Accompanying a Family Member to China for Medical Care: Put Care Tasks and Backup Arrangements in Writing

Before departure, ask the patient whom they want involved and what help they need, then confirm with the treatment team what the accompanying caregiver needs to do. Write down who is responsible during the day, at night, and after returning home. For any care tasks you do not know how to perform, ask a professional to demonstrate and check your technique before the patient leaves the hospital.

Key points

• When the patient is able to take part in decisions, ask their wishes first. Accompanying the patient, paying for care, or being a relative does not automatically give someone authority to decide for them.
• Assign responsibility in advance for transport, meals, help with moving, medication assistance, nighttime care, and communication. Confirm that each person is willing and able to take on their tasks, and arrange backup.
• When language support is needed for diagnosis, consent, risks, or discharge instructions, ask the hospital about a qualified medical interpreter. Family members can help write down questions but should not substitute their own judgment for professional judgment.
• If you cannot safely change dressings, help the patient move, or operate equipment, tell the team before discharge so they can provide training or arrange other care.

Before departure: Confirm the patient’s wishes and the caregiver’s ability to help

Ask the patient to explain whom they want at appointments, who may receive which information, and whether they want any conversations to take place privately. Confirm any necessary authorization based on the patient’s situation and the hospital’s requirements. If the patient cannot make decisions, ask the medical team to explain the applicable requirements for a representative and documentation; family members should not decide this themselves.[1]

Divide the trip into appointments, the hospital stay, accommodation after discharge, and the return journey. For each task, write down who is responsible, their phone number, and who will take over if they cannot be there:

Task	What to confirm
Appointments, records, and communication	Who will organize questions, medication lists, and reports; what interpreting support is needed; who will record answers
Mobility and personal care	How much help is needed with getting in and out of bed, using the toilet, washing, eating, and getting in and out of vehicles; whether equipment or professional help is needed
Medicines and diet	Who will check the final medication list, collect medicines, and prepare meals; what special dietary or fluid restrictions apply
Accommodation, transport, and costs	Whether the location suits the patient’s mobility; who will handle transport, payments, and receipts
Nighttime care and unexpected situations	Who will stay with the patient and who will take turns resting; whom to contact if the patient’s condition changes or the main caregiver becomes ill

With the patient’s consent, make a brief record of their usual abilities: how they normally walk, get up, eat, use the toilet, and take medicines; their memory and ability to communicate; and which tasks they already need help with. Give this to the receiving care team so they can compare any changes.

Ask the team to assess mobility and care needs based on the patient’s actual condition. Caregivers should be honest about their physical, language, time, and sleep limitations. If moving the patient requires two people or equipment, do not attempt it alone. Confirm in advance whether the backup caregiver is willing to help, when they can arrive, and whether they can carry out the required tasks.[2]

During medical care: How caregivers can support the patient

With the patient’s consent, caregivers can organize questions, record the doctor’s answers, and provide information about the patient’s usual abilities and any new changes. When language barriers affect discussions about diagnosis, informed consent, or medication changes, ask the hospital to arrange a qualified interpreter. If you do not understand, ask for an explanation, then repeat the next steps in your own words so the healthcare staff can confirm your understanding.[3][4]

On the ward, ask how to call a nurse and which tasks are the responsibility of healthcare staff. If you notice that the patient is more confused than usual, has difficulty breathing or chest pain, or is getting worse rapidly, call ward staff immediately. Explain when the change began, how it differs from the patient’s usual condition, whether it is worsening, and whom you have already informed. Do not adjust IV infusions, oxygen, or tubes yourself, or give the patient additional medicines you have brought with you.

Plan in advance for the caregiver’s meals, sleep, own medicines, and breaks covered by someone else. If the caregiver becomes ill or cannot continue, tell the ward and the backup caregiver as early as possible. Until someone has been confirmed to take over, do not assume the patient has someone looking after them.[2]

Leaving the hospital and returning home: Hand over to the person taking over care

Ask the team to provide a list of medicines for after discharge, dietary and activity requirements, follow-up appointments, warning symptoms, and daytime and nighttime contacts. If family members must perform dressing changes, injections, transfers, or equipment care, ask a nurse to demonstrate. Have the person who will actually provide care practice with the supplies they will use, and have healthcare staff check their technique. If they still do not know how or cannot perform the task, discuss professional nursing care, equipment, or other suitable arrangements before leaving.[4]

Ask the doctor or pharmacist to compare the pre-admission medication list with the discharge medication list item by item. They should clearly record which medicines to continue, stop, or start, the doses and timing, and whom to contact with questions. If the two lists differ, have them checked first; do not combine them yourself.[5] Write down specific times and responsible people for medicines, care, meals, follow-up visits, and getting help during the first two days after discharge. Complete the later schedule according to the team’s plan. Ask the person who will actually provide care to explain the plan in their own words and have healthcare staff confirm their understanding. With the patient’s consent, give the discharge summary, final medication list, and necessary reports to the doctor who will provide care after the patient returns home. Confirm that the doctor has received and can access them, and who is responsible for follow-up checks or results that are still pending.

Frequently asked questions

As the patient’s spouse, can I sign for them or view all their medical records?

Do not rely on family relationship alone. First ask how the patient wants you to be involved, then ask the hospital to explain local rules and the required authorization. If the patient cannot make decisions, the team should explain the applicable process.[1]

If a family member speaks Chinese, is an interpreter still needed?

When language support is needed for key information about diagnosis, risks, consent, or discharge instructions, ask the hospital about a qualified medical interpreter. Family members can still provide background information and support according to the patient’s wishes.[3]

Should the caregiver do everything the patient can do for themselves?

No. First ask what help the patient wants, then confirm with the team which activities the patient can safely do themselves.

What if family members are absent during the doctor’s ward round?

With the patient’s consent, ask the ward about a suitable time to communicate and whom to contact. Write down the questions you need answered in advance.

What if the caregiver does not know how to change dressings or help the patient move?

Tell the team immediately, before discharge, and ask for a demonstration and supervised practice. If you still cannot perform the task safely, ask the team to help arrange other care or suitable equipment. Do not take a risk at the last minute.

What if the caregiver becomes ill or needs to sleep?

Contact the backup caregiver as agreed in advance and inform the ward. Hand over only after confirming that the backup caregiver has taken over the specific tasks. If no backup is available, ask the team to help discuss care arrangements.[2]

Whom should we contact first if severe symptoms occur?

On the ward, press the call bell or call staff immediately. After discharge, if the situation is critical or the patient is getting worse rapidly, contact local emergency services first, then notify the treatment team.

What if the doctor back home has not received the reports?

Do not assume the handover is complete. Ask the original team and the receiving provider to confirm a secure way to send the records, which documents are missing, and when to contact each other next. If the patient needs prompt medical attention, seek local care first.

Sources

1. NICE: Working with carers of adults, checked on 2026-11-06; confirm local authorization and representative requirements with the hospital.

2. NICE: Supporting adult carers, checked on 2026-11-06; general principles on willingness to provide care, breaks, and replacement care.

3. AHRQ: Providing safe care for patients with language needs, checked on 2026-11-06; confirm available interpreting services with the hospital.

4. AHRQ: Discharge planning and patient and family engagement, checked on 2026-11-06.

5. AHRQ: The medication reconciliation process, checked on 2026-11-06; the doctor responsible for care decides which medicines to use or stop.