By Michaela Forty
It is estimated that over 13,000 people remain in hospital despite being medically fit to leave. This blog provides a quick guide to hospital discharge to ensure you know what to do if you experience a delay.
There may be a number of reasons for a “delayed discharge”. However, one of the main reasons is when someone needs a form of care when they are discharged. This could be care at home or it could involve them moving into a residential care setting.
If you or a loved one have been admitted to hospital, it can be difficult to understand the discharge process. I am often asked questions about hospital discharges.
Here are a few common questions I am regularly asked:
Who is responsible for a hospital discharge?
Each hospital has a Discharge Team, which usually includes a discharge co-ordinator, social worker, nurse and other healthcare professionals.
It is important for you to know who the discharge co-ordinator is for any hospital stays.
Why are they talking about discharge when Mum has only just been admitted to hospital?
From the first day someone is admitted into hospital, the Discharge Team will be informed. They will consider what help may be needed when the patient is discharged. It is NHS policy to discuss this with the patient, and anyone who supports or cares for the patient.
Make sure you are involved in the decision-making process.
What does the hospital social worker do?
The social worker will assess care needs whilst someone is in hospital. It is important to remember that once the patient has left hospital, they are no longer under the hospital social worker. This responsibility transitions to the local authority Adult Social Care Team.
Contact your local Adult Social Care Team or GP if you have been discharged and haven’t heard from anyone regarding aftercare.
What is an “unsafe discharge”?
This is when a patient is discharged without adequate support at home. Also, there might not be any arrangements for home care if the patient needs assistance with daily activities.
Another example of an unsafe discharge is when a patient is discharged too early and still requires medical treatment. There may also be a lack of proper follow-up, for example, no medication, wound care, or other essential aftercare.
If you think it is unsafe for you or a loved one to be sent home, make this clear to the Discharge Team. If they are not available, speak to a senior nurse on the ward.
Do I have to wait for the hospital to arrange a care package?
The answer is no. You can arrange a care package yourself, but you will usually be required to pay for it. If you have more than £23,250 in savings and assets (not including your house if you are discharged home) then you will usually be required to fund your own care.
However, you may be eligible for care funded by the NHS or local authority. In these instances, you may need to wait for the hospital and local authority to put an appropriate care package in place.
Establish if you are eligible for NHS or Local Authority Funding
You can also find more information on this NHS factsheet: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/going-into-hospital/being-discharged-from-hospital/
Family Care Advice can help you navigate the hospital discharge process. We offer a FREE 30-minute discovery call so you can discuss your situation. We will advise you on the help and support we can offer and there is no obligation to use our services.
For more information, please contact us – email mjforty@familycareadvice.co.uk or call 0116 2404976.
