Support after a stay in hospital
Our Hospital Discharge Support team work alongside hospital staff to provide support to patients who are disabled or aged 55 years old and older. They can access the support they need to aid their recovery, regain their independence, and to improve their health and wellbeing.
Being in hospital was such a huge shock I didn’t stop to think how I would cope once I got home.
After an initial home visit or phone call with a member of our team, we’ll help identify the services best suited to provide you with support and advice. This might include:
- home help and shopping provision
- housing services and/ or care provision
- disability and welfare benefits advice and advocacy
- social engagement through accessible group activities
- befriending
- mental health and counselling support
- reablement support to regain confidence and ability.
We can support you for eight to twelve weeks after discharge. The support we offer is always person centred and flexible to suit individual needs.
Am I eligible?
You must be:
- aged 55 and over
- currently in hospital or has had a recent hospital admission (within the last 4 weeks)
- resident of Brighton and Hove
How do I apply?
- If you are still in hospital, speak to a member of the hospital discharge team (such as a social worker, occupational therapist or clinician) and ask them to make a referral on your behalf.
- If you have already been discharged home you, your relatives, or friends, can make a self-referral into the service by contacting the team by phone or email.
- If a patient or family member is worried about a future hospital admission and would like to know what support would be available when you return home they can contact the team for advice.
We also work closely with our Hospital Discharge Grant team to ensure patients who are eligible can access Hospital Discharge Grants to make sure their homes are safe to return home to.
Bernard's story
84 year old Bernard was referred to our service because without a debit card, he was struggling to access his money and do shopping. Bernard had lost mobility since returning home from hospital and could only leave home in a wheelchair with someone to aid him.
Bernard didn’t know his Post Office account PIN number, but thought that if he could get to a cash point, he would remember it. He had also run out of phone credit and couldn’t call anyone.
Our Hospital Discharge Facilitator organised an emergency food parcel for him through the Food Access Service. Bernard now gets nutritional advice through them too.
Bernard decided not to use the local Money Advice Service to help him access his money, so instead we linked him up with an independent home help, to support him to go to the post office in his wheelchair, top up his phone and do a weekly shop at his local supermarket, with his food delivered so he didn’t have to carry it.
Bernard asked his home help to stay out for a bit longer, so he could catch up with friends in his local café before going home. Bernard is over the moon that he is getting out and doing the things he used to enjoy. It is now a regular arrangement.
Another consequence of this new arrangement has been a marked improvement in Bernard’s mental health, noted by his physiotherapist and social worker.
Contact us
If you need more information, contact our Hospital Discharge Support Service.
Telephone: 01273 069851
Email: hds@possabilitypeople.org.uk