Home from Hospital Service
Age UK Bolton offers a free service to support older people who live alone (or are the main carer of another) when they come out of hospital after a stay on the wards or a visit to A&E.
Developed in partnership with Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Hospital and Senior Solutions, the service is aimed at supporting older people make a safe discharge from hospital and provide them with the practical and emotional support they need to recover at home.
Why is the service needed?
Going into hospital can be an anxious time at any age but for many older people coming home can be as, if not more, worrying. For many people, the transitional period of recovery at home following a stay in hospital can leave them feeling at their most vulnerable and many people are at risk of being re-admitted to hospital or needing a crisis care intervention.
How can we help?
The types of support we can offer include:
- Making sure that the person's home is safe and warm
- Ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of basic food stuffs
- Making and clearing away light snacks
- Organising home delivery of ready meals
- Collecting prescriptions
- Checking that people are keeping up their fluid intake and taking their medications
- Giving encouragement to practice Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy exercises
- Help to attend follow-up medical appointments
- Helping to deal with a backlog of mail accumulated during a stay in hospital
- Signposting and referral to and liaison with other agencies
- Encouragement with everyday tasks to regain independence and confidence
Our team of dedicated, fully screened staff and volunteers will ensure that people are not left to struggle and cope alone by providing low-level practical and emotional support for a period of up to six weeks.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide personal care. Once people make a safe recovery we can introduce them to some of our other services that might help them to adjust to new challenges and to make the most of their later life. This might be receiving a regular visit from one of our befriending volunteers, coming along to an afternoon tea, attending a lunch club or joining in with one of our many other community activities.
How to access the Home from Hospital Service
You, or someone on your behalf can contact us directly to enquire about the service. We can be found just off the main corridor on the ground floor between C and D block near to the RVS shop (not the RVS shop and café in the main entrance). The home from hospital service operates from 9am - 9pm 7 days a week.