Leaving hospital is usually a positive step, but returning home can also bring new challenges.
Someone who was previously independent may temporarily need help with washing, dressing, preparing meals or moving safely around their home. For older people or those recovering from illness, surgery or injury, family members can also find themselves taking on more responsibility than expected.
This is where hospital discharge care can help.
With the right support in place, returning home from hospital can be safer, less stressful and better suited to recovery. In this guide, we explain how hospital discharge care works in Scotland, what support may be available and when private home care could be worth considering.
What Happens When Someone Is Discharged From Hospital?
Before someone leaves hospital, their care team should consider whether they can safely return home and what ongoing support they may require.
In Scotland, the aim is increasingly to support people to recover at home once they are medically ready to leave hospital. NHS Inform’s Home First guidance explains that unnecessary time in hospital can contribute to reduced independence and muscle strength, as well as increasing the risk of infection.
Every situation is different. Some people will return home completely independently, while others may need additional support during the first few days or weeks.
This can include help with:
- Personal care, such as washing and dressing
- Preparing meals and drinks
- Medication routines
- Moving safely around the home
- Shopping and household tasks
- Getting back into a normal daily routine
- Attending appointments
- Companionship and reassurance
For some people, these needs will only be temporary. Others may find that their hospital stay has highlighted a need for longer-term support at home.
What Is a Home From Hospital Care Package?
A home from hospital care package is support arranged to help someone return home safely following a hospital stay.
The amount of care required can vary significantly. Someone recovering well might only need a small amount of support each week, while another person may initially need several visits throughout the day.
Importantly, needing care after leaving hospital doesn’t necessarily mean someone has permanently lost their independence.
Short-term home care can provide additional support while the person recovers, with the level of care reviewed as their needs change.
This can make home care particularly useful for people who want to recover in familiar surroundings rather than moving into residential care.
What Support Can You Get After Leaving Hospital in Scotland?
Depending on someone’s circumstances, support following hospital discharge may be available through the NHS, their local authority or other community services.
Discharge planning should identify the services and support someone may need when they leave hospital. This could include home care, community nursing, equipment or adaptations to the home. You can find a more detailed explanation through Care Information Scotland’s guidance on hospital discharge planning.
However, families can also choose to arrange private home care themselves.
Private care can be particularly useful where additional support is wanted beyond what has been arranged, where care is required quickly, or where a family would like more flexibility over the amount and type of support provided.
If you’re considering arranging care privately, our guide to the costs of home care in Fife provides examples of how different levels of support can affect the overall cost.
Can Home Care Be Temporary?
Yes.
One of the advantages of home care is that it does not always have to be a long-term commitment.
Someone recovering from an operation, illness or hospital stay may need more help initially and gradually become more independent as their recovery progresses.
For example, a person might initially need support with personal care, meals and everyday tasks. Several weeks later, they may only require occasional assistance.
A good care plan should reflect these changes rather than providing more support than someone actually needs.
Why Can the First Few Weeks at Home Be Difficult?
There can be a significant difference between being medically ready to leave hospital and immediately returning to normal life.
Tasks that previously seemed straightforward can become more difficult after illness, injury or a prolonged hospital stay.
Even everyday activities such as getting dressed, making lunch or moving around the house can require considerably more energy during recovery.
Family members often provide much of this support, but this isn’t always practical. Relatives may live elsewhere, have work commitments or simply be unable to provide the level of assistance required.
Having professional care in place can provide additional support during this transition while allowing family members to remain involved without becoming solely responsible for someone’s day-to-day care.
Planning for a Safe Return Home
Where possible, conversations about care should begin before the person returns home.
Some useful questions to consider include:
- Can they move safely around their home?
- Will they be able to prepare food and drinks?
- Can they manage their normal personal care routine?
- Do they need support with medication?
- Is somebody available if they need assistance?
- Have their needs changed since they entered hospital?
- Is the current level of support likely to be temporary or ongoing?
Thinking about these questions early can make it easier to identify where additional support may be useful.
It can also help avoid putting too much pressure on one family member immediately after discharge.
What If Their Needs Change During Recovery?
Care requirements after a hospital stay aren’t always predictable.
Someone may improve quickly and require less support than originally expected. In other situations, returning home may reveal difficulties that weren’t obvious while they were in hospital.
Communication is therefore particularly important.
If someone’s mobility, confidence or ability to complete everyday tasks changes, their care arrangements should be reviewed accordingly.
The aim should be to provide the right amount of support while encouraging the person to maintain as much independence as possible.
Hospital Discharge Care With Oran Care
At Oran Care, we provide hospital discharge care in Scotland, helping people return to their own homes following a stay in hospital.
Our support can be tailored around the individual, whether they require short-term help during recovery or their hospital stay has resulted in a need for ongoing home care.
This could include assistance with personal care, meals, medication routines, mobility and everyday activities around the home.
Our home care visits have a minimum duration of 30 minutes per visit, with a minimum of three hours of care per week, allowing support to be built around the person’s individual circumstances.
As needs change, care can be reviewed to ensure the level of support remains appropriate.
Looking for Support After a Hospital Stay?
If you or a family member is preparing to return home from hospital, it can help to understand your care options before discharge.
Oran Care can discuss your circumstances, the support that may be required and whether short-term or ongoing home care could be suitable.
Contact our team to discuss hospital discharge care and support at home.