We know that being in hospital can be a difficult time and you might need help in making arrangements to return home. You might need some extra support to help you manage, this could be with personal care, getting around safely or regaining skills.
The NHS will often make the arrangements for you to leave hospital, and adult social care will help with this.
Our Hospital Social Care Team can help. A practitioner from the team will talk to you about the things that are important to you, what you could do before you went into hospital, work with you to decide what support you may benefit from and what service will be able to help you meet your goals.
Reablement
- This service helps people to regain skills and confidence at home after an illness or hospital stay.
- Can be support with daily activities like cooking, shopping, making safe use of your home or reducing the risk of falls.
- The service is free for up to six weeks for people aged 18 and over living in Warwickshire.
Find out more about reablement
Discharge to Assess Scheme
What is it?
The Discharge to Assess Scheme offers short-term support funded by the NHS to help you recover safely after leaving hospital. It is for people aged 18 and over living in Warwickshire with new or increased needs following a hospital stay. Support can be provided in your own home or in a residential care home.
Why assessments happen after you are discharged
Social Care workers usually wait until after you’ve left hospital to assess your needs. This gives you time to recover and helps us understand what support is best for you. The Discharge to Assess Scheme helps keep you safe until an assessment is done.
Types of support available
Community Recovery Service (at home)
- Free homecare for up to 6 weeks
- Carers can visit up to 4 times a day to help with:
- Moving around your home
- Personal care (washing, dressing)
- Preparing meals
- Following NHS therapy plans (e.g. physiotherapy)
Short stay in a care home
- Offered if you can’t go straight home
- Free stay in one of the care homes the council uses for up to 4 weeks
- Arranged by a Social Care worker
If the council’s care home isn’t suitable
If your needs or your circumstances mean you can’t use one of the council’s free care home places:
- A Social Care worker will carry out a Care Act assessment and help you find another option
- This won’t be free
- You’ll have a financial assessment to work out what you’ll need to pay
How long does the free support last?
If you are eligible:
- Up to 4 weeks in a residential care home
- Up to 6 weeks with Community Recovery Service home care
Actual time may be shorter depending on your recovery and assessment.
What happens next?
While you are using the Discharge to Assess Scheme, a Social Care worker will carry out an assessment under the Care Act:
- (If you are in a care home) approximately 2 weeks after you leave the hospital
- (If you are at home) approximately 4 weeks after you leave the hospital
If you need ongoing support and are eligible, we’ll explain your options and any costs.
Those options might be:
- Support from a care provider to help you manage tasks at home.
- Support in sourcing a property that better suits your needs.
- Support in accessing the community or places that are important to you.
- Support to make use any Assistive Technology (AT) that could help you throughout your day.
- Aids, equipment or adaptations to your home.
Already receiving care before hospital?
You can continue with your previous care provider, but this won’t be part of the free Discharge to Assess scheme.
Don’t want this service?
When you leave hospital, you can still have an assessment and get help finding support, but you’ll need to pay for it yourself.
Important to know
- These services are short-term and only for helping people leave hospital
- Long-term support will come from a different care provider or care home
Paying for care
If your assessment finds that you’re eligible for ongoing support, some adult social care services are not free and we may need a financial assessment to see if you need to pay toward the support you need. Our staff will be able to talk through this process with you.
Our Financial Assessments and Benefits Advice Team will:
- Check if you need to pay
- Let you know the amount
Charges start:
- Reablement: From the date the social care assessment is completed, depending on the outcome of your financial assessment
- Community Recovery Service home care: When your new service begins
- Short stay in a care home: When you return home or move to a long-term care home. If you stay longer than 4 weeks, you’ll be charged for the extra time
Contact: Financial Assessments & Benefits Advice Team on 01926 413985 if you have any questions or concerns about the financial assessment.