Hospital discharge
Easy read government guidance on what you need to know about leaving hospital
Due to Covid-19, Adult Social Care services are working in a new way as a result of the pressures on health and social care services. Hospital discharge processes are operating differently during this period. This is set out in the following government guidance on hospital discharge service.
In Camden, when you are discharged from hospital, any care that you receive from health or social care services to support your recovery (reablement support) is offered up to 4 weeks and free of charge.
Will I receive care and support when I am discharged from hospital?
Due to Covid-19, people will be discharged from hospital as soon as it is clinically safe to do so.
Before you are discharged, we will have a conversation with you to understand the level of support you may need to help you to regain your independence or continue living as independently as possible. When we have the conversation, you are welcome to bring a family member or carer if you would find that helpful. From having the conversation, it may be that you require support while you are recovering at home. Support could be provided by health services, social care services, or voluntary and community sector services.
Any of the services provided to support you while you get better can be temporary or longer term and it depends on your needs. We will always discuss the care options with you. Also, as part of the conversation we have with you, if support is required from mental health services, that will be provided.
Short term focused support at home
If you are currently unable to complete some day-to-day tasks independently, such as your personal care, preparing and cooking meals, carrying out household chores, short term focused support may a suitable option.
The support offered would help you relearn tasks and enable you to regain some or all of your independence. The support is provided by Adult Social Care and we closely monitor your needs.
Sometimes, depending on your health needs and following a review of the support you are receiving, it may be possible to extend the support for a couple of weeks.
Short term stay in a supported setting
Sometimes, it may be that you are medically fit to leave hospital, but if your physical abilities have decreased through illness you may not be able to return home yet. In this situation, you may be offered rehabilitation. This means when you are discharged from hospital you have a short term stay in a supported setting, such as one of our supported flats in Henderson Court, while you recover from illness.
Rehabilitation support is provided by Camden and Islington NHS. The support will enable you to regain life skills so that you return to living independently as much as possible, or support you to manage your condition or disability with a positive but realistic outlook.
As part of Covid-19 safety measures, if you are being discharged to a setting that is not your home you may need to take a Covid-19 test.
Practical support provided by the voluntary and community sector
If you have needs which do not need to be met by health or social care services, you could be referred to the care navigation and social prescribing service. The service is coordinated by Age UK Camden and Voluntary Action Camden. It is open to any adult regardless of age. It could help you with things such as shopping, medication pick-ups, befriending services and information and advice. You can self-refer, or your health or social care practitioner can refer you to the service.
To self-refer to the service or find out more, email [email protected], or phone 0800 193 6067, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. More information about the care navigation and social prescribing service is available in the Practical support page.
Longer term support meet ongoing care needs
If you have greater care needs it may not be possible to return home and another option could be considered. There are a number of supported housing options which could support you to live independently, which may better suit your ongoing care needs. This includes sheltered housing and extra care sheltered accommodation. See Supported housing for social care needs for further details. If your needs cannot be met in these settings, then other options include moving to a residential or a nursing care home.
Longer-term support for ongoing care needs is not free for everyone. If you have ongoing care needs you may be required to complete a financial assessment to work out whether you need to pay for some of the cost.
In any situation, our priority is always to keep people safe from harm. Whether you receive support or not is not necessarily determined by finances. To find out more about paying for long term care, see the Who pays for your care page.
Welfare benefits and your stay in hospital
If you receive welfare benefits, they are not affected if you are in hospital for less than 28 days. If you are aged 18 or over and you have been in hospital for 28 days some benefits do change.
If you receive Attendance Allowance (AA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you should inform the Department for Work and Pensions when you go into hospital. These benefits stop being paid if you are in hospital for 28 days.
Other benefits such as Pension Credit may be affected if AA, DLA or PIP are stopped. If you have a Motability vehicle, contact the Motability scheme to discuss your circumstances if your PIP or DLA is stopped.
If you receive a State Pension you will continue to receive it no matter how long you are in hospital.
For further information about benefits and your hospital stay, visit Turn2us.