Hospital discharge
Support available in your home
Support from family and friends
After leaving hospital, you may only need support from your family or friends.
If you are receiving support from family or friends, we refer to them as unpaid carers. Providing information, advice and support to unpaid carers can be really important to help them support you. For more information about the support available to carers see, advice for carers.
Age Concern Tyneside South (ACTS)
Age Concern can provide support as part of their home from hospital service.
This support can be practical or emotional and includes:
- providing you with transport home from hospital, or meeting you at home to help you get settled-in
- week by week support with practical day to day tasks such as shopping or getting out and about
- telephone or home visits to see how you are doing
Their Home from Hospital Service can support you for up to a maximum of 6 weeks, but they aim to help you manage without them before that.
As you begin to feel better, they will offer encouragement and motivation to help you keep active and healthy. They will help you find out about other support through ACTS or other groups and activities in your area to help you get back to your usual routine or find new interests and hobbies.
Equipment to help you live independently
You may only need support with the use of equipment.
There is a wide range of equipment that can help people with everyday tasks that may have become an issue because of disability, ill-health or due to changes as we grow older.
For more information, see how to get equipment for yourself.
Assistive technology
Assistive technology is a range of electronic aids that can help you live independently and safely in your own home.
This technology includes:
- An alarm unit and pendant
- A digital clock
For information on packages and types of equipment see, assistive technology.
Your care and support will be reviewed weekly with the social care team and the home care provider to determine next steps.
You can also refer yourself for assistive technology see, apply for assistive technology.
Home Independence and Crisis Support Services (HICSS)
The Home Independence and Crisis Support Service (HICSS) is provided by our home care providers and can support you in your own home for a short time to help you regain your independence.
A social care professional will arrange for you to be supported by this service.
The team will work with you to set goals specific to your needs.
The service can't give set times for visits to your home, but they will be reasonably timed and spaced depending on what you require support with.
This will help us to understand your future needs and how these can be met.
Support is usually for a few days but can be longer if you need to regain further independent living skills. During this time your carers and an assessor will review your need for support and confirm whether you need ongoing support which will be provided.
HICSS is free of charge until any long-term needs are assessed (up to 6-weeks only).
Discharge to Assess Service
Discharge to Assess (D2A) is a joint service between Adult Social Care and NHS to provide home-based reablement. It aims to help you regain your independence and support you to return home from hospital as quickly as possible.
A Discharge Planning Nurse will discuss with you a return home with D2A and arrange a timed slot for your discharge (usually the same day or next day).
If you require formal carer support at home as part of D2A, this will also be discussed with you and put in place for your return home. Carer support is provided by Human Support Group (HSG).
Age Concern Tyneside South may also provide support alongside HSG such as collecting medication, supporting with shopping or telephone / home visits to see how you are doing.
The Recovery at Home team will meet you at your home and complete an assessment with you to create goals for you to work towards, such as regaining your independence with making meals, or getting around your home. They will also provide any equipment and assistive technology which will support you in your home.
The Recovery at Home team will work alongside you, your friends / family and the carers from HSG to promote your independence and support you to achieve your goals.
D2A is a free service for up to 6 weeks, however the service may end before 6 weeks are over if you have achieved your goals. If you have any ongoing support needs after this time, these will be discussed with you and a plan put in place on how these needs can be met going forward.
24-hour live-in carer service
24-hour live-in carer service is a short-term option to support your return home for an assessment period. This is to determine how to best meet your needs long-term.
You will receive this support for two weeks. Before the end of the 2 weeks a review will be held with you / your family / carers to discuss any ongoing support needs.
The service provides consistent, person-centred care in your own home, that is round the clock, from a dedicated carer.
The support aims to improve your mental health and well-being, by supporting you to have more control over your daily routines, while having care and support on hand whenever you need it.
A social care professional will arrange this care if they feel, after discussion with you / your family / carers, that you need this level of support when being discharged.