Information last checked: November 2026. Processes, forms and portals change, so please confirm current details with your insurer, provider or the relevant health authority before acting.

Many people leave hospital with a recommendation along the lines of “physiotherapy at home” or “nursing support for two weeks”, and little guidance on how to arrange it. This guide covers the arrangements, not the clinical content, which is for your care team and the provider’s licensed clinicians.

Start with the care team

Ask your discharging doctor or the hospital’s discharge or case team, before you go home:

  • What support is recommended (physiotherapy, nursing, equipment), how often and for how long?
  • Do you need a written referral or prescription for it, and will the hospital provide it?
  • Does the hospital have its own home-care service, or work with preferred providers? Be aware that a referral to a particular provider is a suggestion: you may compare others.
  • Who do I contact if the home provider has a clinical question?

Check the licence

Home healthcare is regulated in the UAE. In Dubai, a home healthcare facility needs a Dubai Health Authority licence, and licensed clinicians appear in the DHA’s online registry. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Health licenses and accredits home healthcare providers, and has published figures on accredited providers and cancelled licences. Before you hire:

  • Ask the company for its facility licence number and the licensing body (DHA, DoH or the Ministry of Health and Prevention, depending on the emirate).
  • Ask for the name and licence number of the clinician who will visit, then check it yourself on the regulator’s lookup, for example DHA’s Sheryan practitioner search.
  • Be cautious of providers who cannot give these details, advertise only through messaging apps, or ask for full payment upfront.
  • A domestic worker or a general “carer” is not a licensed nurse or physiotherapist. Non-clinical help at home has a place, but tasks such as wound care, injections or therapy should be done by a licensed clinician as your care team directs. See choosing a carer for the non-clinical side.

Individual clinicians and rules differ between free zones and the main health authorities, so if a provider says they are exempt from a licence, ask them to explain which body regulates them and confirm with that body.

Questions for the provider

Ask before you book

  • Who will visit, with what qualification, and will it be the same person each time?
  • How soon can the first visit happen, and what happens in it?
  • How do you coordinate with my surgeon or doctor, and report back?
  • What are your hours, and what is the process if I need help out of hours?
  • What is the fee per visit, per package, and what extras are charged (travel, equipment, weekends)?
  • What is your cancellation policy?
  • Do you work directly with my insurer, or do I pay and claim back?

What to agree in writing

  • The services, number of visits and expected period, as set by your care team’s recommendation
  • Visit times and who attends
  • Fees and payment terms
  • How progress is recorded and who receives updates, including family overseas if the patient agrees
  • How and when the arrangement is reviewed or ended

Insurance and cost

Coverage for home physiotherapy and nursing varies widely by policy. Some require a doctor’s referral and pre-approval, some cover only a set number of sessions, and some exclude home visits entirely. Ask your insurer in writing before the first visit, and note the approval reference. Fees on offer range widely between providers, so get at least two written quotes where time allows.

Review as you go

After a week or two, ask whether the arrangement is working. Are visits on time? Does the patient feel respected? Is the care team getting the updates they expect? If something is not right, raise it with the provider first, then your doctor. A provider who welcomes that conversation is a good sign.

If coordinating this on top of everything else feels like too much, our recovery and continuity support helps families set up and follow up home care and rehabilitation, with regular check-ins. We are independent of the home-care providers we discuss; where any partnership is commission-based, we say so.

Sources and further reading

This article offers general, non-clinical information only. It is not medical, legal or insurance advice. Always speak to your doctor or healthcare provider about clinical questions. In a medical emergency, call 998.