Post hospital support proven to aid recovery for elderly

According to new research my the Royal Voluntary Service, older people supported after a stay in hospital are less likely to be readmitted and are more likely to report an improved quality of life.
 
The analysis of Royal Voluntary Service’s Hospital to Home service in Leicester and Leicestershire funded by the Cabinet Office and Leicestershire County Council, explored the impact of a six week support service - given at the point of discharge from hospital - to those 55 and over who have limited or no social support locally.

The Hospital to Home service provides six weeks of volunteer support for older people returning home from hospital after illness, surgery or an accident. They are provided with practical and emotional support to help them get back on their feet and regain their independence, in addition to enabling a quicker discharge from hospital.
 
The study identified that through the scheme, staff and volunteers helped to significantly improve the health and well-being of those leaving hospital. The study involved 800 older people and found that: 70 per cent felt they had improved their level of social contact; 52 per cent said they had improved their confidence; and 47 per cent reported an increase in their happiness levels.
 
Evidence also showed that readmission within 30 days was lower in the patients supported through the service than the CCG rate. The service achieved a figure of 9.2 per cent readmissions compared to the national figure of 15 per cent for those 75 years and over. 
  
David McCullough, chief executive, Royal Voluntary Service said: “A stay in hospital can be disorientating and it’s particularly hard to settle back into your home if you have no one there to give you a word of encouragement, make you a cup of tea or check you’ve got your medication. These are all simple things but this analysis proves just how vital that support is to the recovery of an older person who has been in hospital. No one should have to go home alone unless they choose to and it’s in no one’s benefit that they do, not the older person nor the NHS as they are more likely to be readmitted if they are not given the support they need after leaving hospital.
 
“As part of our Help them Home campaign we are calling on communities, local authorities and NHS Trusts to work in partnership to provide more volunteers in hospitals and support vulnerable older people in their homes following discharge from hospital.”
 
Councillor Dave Houseman, Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet
member for adult social care, said: “We’ve made significant improvements in reducing the time it takes to transfer people from hospital to a care setting. There’s a year-on-year 36 per cent reduction in delayed bed days.
 
“We’re also encouraged that, compared to similar authorities, Leicestershire is the fourth best out of 22 local authorities when it comes to reducing delays attributable to adult social care in 2015/16, and this improving picture is a result of collaborative working with families, carers, partners in the NHS, clinical commissioning groups, the voluntary sector and district and borough councils.”