Hospital discharges happen fast — from Henry Ford, the Detroit Medical Center, Corewell Health, or Michigan Medicine. Here's how Metro Detroit families navigate a stressful discharge into a safe senior care placement within days.
By David Reyes, LCSW · March 5, 2026
Every major Detroit-area hospital has social workers or care-transition specialists who coordinate the discharge order, therapy recommendations, and skilled nursing referrals. Henry Ford Hospital, the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) — including Detroit Receiving Hospital, Harper University Hospital, and Sinai-Grace Hospital — Ascension St. John Hospital, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak, Corewell Health Troy, Corewell Health Dearborn, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, and Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan Health) in Ann Arbor all maintain discharge planning teams. Meet with the discharge planner early and ask directly: what level of care will my parent need at discharge, and will Medicare cover a skilled nursing stay?
As a clinical social worker, I'll be candid about a limit of the discharge planner's role: their job is to facilitate a safe, timely transition, not to help you choose the best facility. They may hand you a list. That's where a free, independent advisor adds real value — someone who knows the specific communities on that list, their LARA/BCHS inspection records on the Michigan licensing search, and whether they're licensed as a Home for the Aged or Adult Foster Care home suited to your parent's needs.
Most Metro Detroit discharges point to one of three paths: (1) short-term skilled nursing rehabilitation, often Medicare-covered for up to 100 days after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay; (2) assisted living (an HFA or AFC setting) if ongoing daily support is needed but not skilled nursing; or (3) home with a licensed home health agency. The right path depends on the level of care ordered and the expected recovery trajectory.
A senior discharged from Henry Ford Hospital or the Detroit Medical Center might do well at a Detroit or Grosse Pointe assisted living community; a senior discharged from Corewell Health Troy or Corewell Health Royal Oak may prefer an Oakland County community closer to family in Birmingham or Rochester. Confirm the receiving community is licensed at the right level and staffed for the resident's needs — a Home for the Aged for a larger campus setting, or an Adult Foster Care home for a smaller, more residential environment, with dementia-trained staff if memory care is needed.
Metro Detroit assisted living and skilled nursing facilities can frequently accept a post-hospital resident within 24 to 72 hours when a bed is open. Have the essentials ready: the physician's discharge order, current medication list, insurance cards (Medicare, Medicaid, or VA), and any advance directive. Preparation before discharge is what makes a fast, safe placement possible.
Don't call communities one at a time from a hospital hallway. A free advisor works directly with the discharge planner at Henry Ford, the Detroit Medical Center, Corewell Health, Ascension St. John, or Michigan Medicine, identifies current openings across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties, and coordinates the move so families aren't doing it alone under pressure.
Free, no-pressure call. We work for families, not facilities.