Hospital
Discharge
Being
discharged from hospital can be a traumatic time for an older
person and their family, so getting the timing and circumstances
into which they return home is critically important. Many hospitals
are short of both beds and staff. In part, this is due in part
to limited capacity within Social Services to adequately support
vulnerable people in their own homes following discharge. Delayed
Discharges fines, and an associated grant, have been introduced
to help solve this problem. Almost two thirds of general and acute
hospital beds are in use by people over 65. Of those, the Government
estimates that 20,000 – 40,000 hospital beds are occupied
by older people who have no clinical need to be there.
A person
recently discharged from hospital faces increased risks of physical
deterioration and infection exacerbated by a reduction in physical
mobility. Despite being medically fit for discharge from hospital,
a person may also face social and environmental risks when they
arrive home. They may worry that they will be alone in their home,
with no way to contact someone when they require help. A person
who entered hospital as the result of a fall may have a complete
lack of confidence about returning home; living alone causes even
more anxiety.
Discharge
too early and the patient may be readmitted. Discharge too late
and hospital beds are blocked and used ineffectively. Bed blocking
leads to unnecessary waiting lists within acute Trusts and creates
avoidable demands on social and primary care. The longer an older
person is institutionalised in hospital, the less likely they
are to become independent again.
.
There is clearly a need to maximise
patient safety when being discharged from hospital. Telecare
can be used to enable the patient to summon help if a crisis
occurs. If the person’s wellness deteriorates, care staff
will be aware of this and be able to intervene at an early stage.
Monitoring the patient significantly improves the confidence
of the person being discharged, making the process less traumatic
for the patient. Any supporting telecare must be quick and simple
to install.
WristCare provides a solution
Preventative Telecare in the form of the
WristCare Home System reduces anxiety during hospital discharge
and reassures carers that risks are minimised. WristCare can be
installed in just a few minutes; its manual and automatic alarm
capabilities improve confidence at a particularly stressful time.
Using Wellness Data, Care professionals better understand who
needs their input, and who does not, on a day-to-day basis. Assessment
becomes more evidence based, and more frequent. Care Plans become
more responsive to need. Crises are avoided.
Rapid
installation
Discreet
profile
Deterioration
alarm
Improved
confidence
= more information
