What happens while you're in hospital?
The team at the hospital will have helped you get better and as you near the end of your stay, they will discuss with you next steps to recovery and what care or support you might need when you leave hospital.
Planning what's next
Once you are well enough to be discharged, the ward staff and discharge liaison team will come and speak with you to understand what support you already have in place. They will ask you for information to understand the type of support that you may need after your stay in hospital. This could include:
- being discharged to your existing care home or a different care home
- being discharge to a care home for the first time
- spending some time in a community hospital or a care home before going home
- going straight home with either some home care or reablement support, or with help from community organisations or from family and friends.
They will need to ask you quite a few questions to understand what's best for you, so you may want someone with you for support.
Caring Steps Together offers more information around leaving a hospital in Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon or Wiltshire, with videos and leaflets which explain what will happen before, during and after leaving hospital.
Information about going home after a stay at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, including the Hospital@Home service, which supports patients to return home where they will continue to receive care, rather than staying in hospital, even though they are medically unwell.
Getting home
Leaving hospital can feel a little overwhelming, and many patients choose to ask a family member, friend or neighbour to collect them for this reason. If this is not an option for you, you could contact one of the community transport schemes in B&NES as they may be able to assist. If you are struggling with sourcing transport please speak with someone from the hospital discharge team.
Initial support and ongoing care
B&NES Reablement Service can help you regain your abilities and independence following a period of being unwell, providing short term therapy and support in your own home or care home to prevent you needing to go into hospital or to support early discharge from hospital.
Discharge from hospital gives information about what happens when you are well enough to leave hospital or your intermediate care, or when reablement ends, including what ongoing care might be available to help you, and how the cost of this ongoing care is worked out.
Find out how social care can work with you to plan for any ongoing support you may need including getting a care needs assessment.
If you look after someone who has care and support needs, you are a carer and you are entitled to an assessment of your own needs. Find out about getting a carer's assessment.
Paying for initial support and ongoing care
If the hospital discharge team recommend that you would benefit from a stay in a community hospital you will not be charged for this. If you are going straight home or to a care home you will not be charged for any care you receive straight away. While you are in hospital you will be asked a few questions about your financial circumstances to see if a financial assessment is needed. This will decide if and what you need to pay for your care after a period of free care. Some people will be funded by social care, but most people will have to pay something towards their care, if they need long term home care or a care home.
Find out more about paying for social care and support.
If money issues are stopping you from initially getting home after a stay in hospital or a care home, you may be entitled to support via the Individual Discharge Fund.
Other services to help you after a hospital stay
If you are an in-patient in the Royal United Hospital wards or A&E, St Martin's Hospital or Paulton Hospital, you live in Bath and North East Somerset, and are over the age of 18 Age UK Home from Hospital can provide short term practical and emotional support while you are on the mend, working to build your confidence and connect you to groups and services within your local community.
We Care Home Improvements - Home from Hospital service can support your timely discharge from hospital by ensuring that your home is a safe, suitable and warm place to return to. They can also carry out free home safety checks and arrange for work to be done once you are back home, with the aim of reducing the risk of re-admission.
Curo's Step-down from hospital accommodation can offer a home from home if you are ready to leave hospital but, for whatever reason, are unable to return home at this point. This service is for anyone over the age of 18 who lives in or has a GP in Bath and North East Somerset.
Browse our pages on Live Well B&NES Supporting adults to live full and independent lives, for a range of services and activities to support you, including after a period of being unwell. This may be help around the home or adaptions to your home, social clubs or activities, information and support around health and wellbeing, or Care Homes in our area.
The Community Wellbeing Hub works with NHS and community organisations to offer a range of services to help improve your health and wellbeing. You can call them on 0300 247 00 50.