Hospital Discharge Movers — Ottawa
A parent is being discharged in 24–72 hours and the home isn’t ready, or a loved one needs to transfer from hospital to a residence. We move fast, carefully, and without the chaos — bookings confirmed within two business hours of your call.
Four discharge scenarios we handle every month
Case managers and adult children call us for the same four situations — each has its own clock. Pick the one that fits and we’ll scope it on the phone in under 10 minutes.
Prep home before discharge
Clear furniture for hospital bed delivery, remove rugs, reorganize bedroom to ground floor, set up accessible bathroom.
Hospital → assisted living
Pack allowed items (~20–40 boxes typical), deliver + set up new room before patient arrives, handle surplus to storage or donation.
Hospital → adult child’s home
Downsize parent’s current home, keep sentimental + mobility essentials, move to a prepared in-law suite or spare bedroom.
Short-stay → long-term placement
Two-phase move: hospital belongings to interim residence, then full-home transition once long-term bed is confirmed.
What “48-hour turnaround” actually means
It’s not marketing language — here’s the operational checklist when you call today:
- Phone scope within 2 hours of your call
- Free on-site assessment within 24 hours (Ottawa only)
- Hospital-bed clearance of bedroom + hallway
- Accessible bathroom reconfiguration (grab bars via partner trades)
- Packing all belongings into discharge-hospital-approved totes
- Delivery + room set-up at new residence before patient arrival
- Fridge/freezer stocked with 3 days of meals (add-on)
- Discharge-planner support letter provided on request
- Storage of surplus up to 90 days (first 7 days free)
- Donation pick-up coordination with Habitat ReStore + Helping with Furniture
- Crew briefed on noise + infection-control expectations
- Same-day receipt + itemized invoice for reimbursement submissions
Transparent hospital-discharge pricing
| Service | Timing | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Home prep (clear 1 bedroom + hallway, no move) | 3–4 hrs | $560 – $720 |
| Hospital → residence transfer (20–40 boxes) | 4–6 hrs | $720 – $1,080 |
| Parent’s home → child’s home (1 bedroom + essentials) | 6–8 hrs | $1,080 – $1,440 |
| Full downsize to long-term residence | 1–2 days | $1,800 – $3,200 |
| Rush surcharge (less than 24 hr notice) | — | +$195 |
Rates at $195/hr for 3-mover + truck. Final quote confirmed after phone scope. No deposit required beyond the standard $100 applied to total. Cancellations inside 24 hours charged one hour labour.
For case managers & discharge planners
We coordinate directly with hospital social workers and LHIN case coordinators. We’ll provide a moving confirmation letter for patient discharge files, work within your family-communication protocols, and give one-page invoices compatible with Veterans Affairs, insurance, and LTC subsidy reimbursements.
[email protected] — direct line for healthcare staffFrequently asked questions
Can you book before the official discharge date is confirmed?
Yes. We hold the slot with a refundable $100 deposit. If discharge slips by 24 hours, we reschedule at no cost. If it slips more than 72 hours we refund in full or rebook within 30 days — whichever you prefer.
Do you work evenings or weekends for discharges scheduled on Saturday or Sunday?
Yes, including statutory holidays. Weekend rates are the same hourly as weekdays for discharge moves; no surcharge for Saturday or Sunday work. Evening (after 5 pm) bookings add $60 flat for the crew’s night-shift meal allowance.
Will your crew follow hospital infection-control requirements?
All crew members wear N95-rated masks on request, use fresh moving blankets per-room, sanitize hands between rooms, and avoid any reused cardboard for patient belongings. Tell us the specific protocol your hospital or residence requires and we’ll brief the crew in advance.
Can I get a receipt formatted for Veterans Affairs or insurance reimbursement?
Yes. We provide an itemized invoice with CRA-compliant HST breakdown, our WSIB number, insurance certificate of coverage, and service-date detail — the exact format Veterans Affairs, Blue Cross, and private LTC insurers ask for. Email [email protected] within 30 days if you need any line reformatted.
Can you pack the belongings if the patient is still in hospital?
Yes — most of our discharge moves happen while the patient is still admitted. Provide us with a next-of-kin authorization (a simple signed note is enough for Ottawa residences), and we’ll pack, inventory-photograph, and transfer everything before the discharge date. We do not handle medications, controlled substances, or firearms.
What if the discharge destination is outside Ottawa?
We serve the full Ottawa-Gatineau region plus Kanata, Orléans, Nepean, Barrhaven, Stittsville, Manotick, Richmond, and Almonte at our standard rates. Destinations beyond 50 km of downtown add a travel-hour surcharge. For cross-provincial moves to Gatineau or further, see our long-distance page.
One call, discharge handled.
Talk to a senior-care move specialist now — no phone tree, no callback queue.
📞 (613) 301-9526 — answered live 7 am–9 pmOttawa hospital-discharge moves — what we add beyond the 48-hr turnaround
Most hospital-discharge moves we do start with one of three triggers: a parent’s rehab stay ends earlier than planned, a senior needs a small-suite transfer from a Civic Campus discharge into a Greta Bray-style residence, or a discharged patient cannot return to a stairs-only home. Three hospital systems generate 90% of these calls in Ottawa: The Ottawa Hospital (Civic + General + Riverside), Bruyère Continuing Care, and CHEO transitions for adult-aged patients aging out of pediatric care. Below is the 48-hour add-on protocol we have refined over the past year.
Book 48-hr discharge move Senior-movers companion serviceWhy a discharge move is different from a regular move
It is not the distance or the inventory — most discharge moves are 1–2 km from a hospital to a residence, retirement community, or transitional care apartment. What is different is the timing window (Discharge Planning gives you 24–48 hrs), the access constraints (a wheelchair, walker, or oxygen tank usually goes first, contents follow), and the documentation overhead (Power of Attorney, Substitute Decision Maker, healthcare directives must travel separately and be tracked). Our discharge crews are briefed on those three constraints before they roll.
Coordinated daily with Discharge Planning offices: The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus, TOH General Campus, TOH Riverside, Bruyère Saint-Vincent + Élisabeth Bruyère, Queensway-Carleton, Montfort, CHEO (adult transitions). We do not have a contracted relationship with any of these hospitals — we are paid by the family or the patient directly.
5 new questions about hospital-discharge moves
How fast can you actually dispatch a discharge move?
Same-day if booked before 10 AM and a crew is finishing within 5 km. Next-day is our standard 48-hr commitment with a 2-hr arrival window. Weekend discharges work the same way — we do not surcharge for Saturday or Sunday. The earlier in the discharge-planning cycle we know, the more flexibility we have to assign a 3-mover crew (faster) versus a 2-mover crew (cheaper).
Can you coordinate directly with the hospital social worker?
Yes — with written authorization from the patient or their Substitute Decision Maker. We will speak with TOH, Bruyère, Queensway-Carleton, and Montfort discharge planners about timing windows and loading-zone access, but we do not share medical or care-plan details. The authorization stays on file for 90 days for repeat consults during recovery.
What if the patient is moving into a retirement residence with elevator restrictions?
Most Ottawa retirement communities reserve their freight elevator in 2-hour booking blocks (typical: 9–11 AM, 1–3 PM, weekdays only). We pre-book the elevator at the time you give us the move-in address and confirm with the building manager 24 hrs out. If your destination is one of the elevator-restricted residences (Amica Bayshore, Chartwell Stittsville, Greenboro Place, V!VA Barrhaven, Park Place Promenade, Atria Glebe), we already have the standard booking process on file.
Do you move medical equipment?
Light medical equipment (wheelchair, walker, rollator, shower chair, hospital-style bed once disassembled) — yes, as part of the standard crew load. Oxygen tanks, IV stands with active lines, and any equipment still attached to the patient at discharge — no, those move with the patient via the discharge team or by medical transport. We coordinate the contents-side timing so the patient arrives 1–2 hours after the room is set up.
How does pricing work for a 48-hr discharge move?
Same 140/hr (2 movers) or 180/hr (3 movers) hourly rate as any local move, with a 2-hour minimum. Most discharge moves run 2–3.5 hours total because the inventory is partial (a primary bedroom plus essentials, not a full home). A typical billed total is 280–630 plus the 100 refundable deposit. See the full cost guide for crossover analysis and the senior-movers companion page for the broader downsizing context.
Companion Ottawa services for post-discharge transitions
Hospital Discharge Moves: 48-Hour Dispatch Timeline, Step-by-Step
Discharge dates shift overnight. Here’s what actually happens between the call from the discharge planner and the moment your loved one is settled in the new place.
The 7-step 48-hour dispatch sequence
- Hour 0 — Discharge planner call. Social worker, family member, or POA reaches us. We log discharging hospital, expected discharge time, destination (home / retirement residence / LTC), and any equipment that’s coming with the patient.
- Hour 0-2 — Crew assigned, route walked. 2-person discharge crew is locked. We Google-Street-View both addresses for parking, elevator access, and stair counts so we don’t lose 40 minutes on a wrong-side-of-building moment.
- Hour 2-6 — Pre-move packing if needed. If the previous residence has not been cleared, an optional partial-pack crew goes in the next morning to box clothing, personal effects, and medications.
- Hour 12-24 — Equipment intake. Hospital-bed rental, walker, commode, or oxygen concentrator pickup coordinated with Motion or Shoppers Home Health Care — we deliver direct to destination so it’s set up before the patient arrives.
- Hour 24-36 — Move day. Crew arrives at residence at agreed time, loads, transports, unloads, and re-assembles the bed, dresser, and chair in the destination room. Average single-bedroom discharge move: 3.5 hours door to door.
- Hour 36-44 — Set-up. Bed made, walker positioned beside the bed, fall-mat down, lamp plugged in, medications on the night-stand. Photos sent to the family WhatsApp so out-of-town relatives can confirm.
- Hour 44-48 — Patient arrives. Hospital transport delivers patient to a ready room — not a half-unpacked storage unit. Final invoice emailed; receipt formatted for insurance / private LTC reimbursement.
5 fresh answers when the call comes
The discharge planner just told me my mom is leaving tomorrow afternoon. Can you actually move her in time?
Yes, in most cases. We hold one discharge slot per weekday morning specifically for next-day calls. If you reach us before 6 PM the day before discharge, our 2-person crew can typically arrive at the previous residence by 8 AM the next morning, complete a single-bedroom move in 3 to 4 hours, and have the destination room set up before hospital transport drops your mom off in the afternoon. Same-day Friday discharges are tighter — call dispatch immediately.
Can you coordinate with a retirement residence’s intake schedule (Chartwell, Revera, Amica)?
Yes — we’ve delivered into all three chains across Ottawa multiple times. Most retirement residences require a 24-hour notice and a 2- or 3-hour delivery window booked through their move-in coordinator. We make that call on your behalf, confirm elevator-padding requirements, and ask about restricted hours (Chartwell typically allows moves 9 AM to 4 PM; Amica often runs to 5 PM). We share the confirmation email with you so nothing is in our head only.
What if the hospital bed and other rentals haven’t arrived yet when we move?
We bring our own bed frame, mattress, dresser, and chair if you ask — that way the room is liveable the moment the patient arrives, even if Motion or Shoppers is running behind. When the rental hospital bed shows up later that day, we can swap it in at no charge if our crew is still on site, or we hand off setup notes to the rental company’s installer if we’ve already left. Either way, the patient never lands in an empty room.
Will my OHIP or extended health insurance reimburse part of this?
OHIP itself does not cover residential moves. However, if you have private LTC insurance, a CCAC / Ontario Health atHome funded care plan, or veteran’s benefits via VAC, the moving invoice is often partially reimbursable when it’s coded as a discharge-coordination expense. We provide an itemized receipt with discharge date, originating hospital, and destination type so your case manager has what they need. We can’t promise approval — only that our paperwork won’t be the reason for a denial.
What about same-day transport of medications, oxygen, and personal medical supplies?
We’re not a licensed medical-courier service, so prescription medications and active oxygen tanks must move with a family member or the hospital’s discharge nurse — not in our truck. Sealed, non-prescription supplies (continence products, wound-care kits, walker, commode, manual wheelchair) ride safely with us. We label and consolidate them into one labelled tote so they’re easy to find the moment the patient is settled in.
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Discharge call this week? Skip the spreadsheet.
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