We work closely with hospital staff who make arrangements for you, or your relative, to be discharged from hospital promptly and safely.
It is always a priority to discharge you to the best possible place to support your recovery. In most cases, this will be your home.
Who is involved?
Hospital staff will discuss your needs and discharge arrangements with you and your family, if you would like them to be involved.
It is helpful to include relatives and/or friends in the conversation so staff can factor in any support they can provide in your discharge arrangements.
Once you no longer need hospital care, it is better for your health and wellbeing to leave straight away.
In most cases, the hospital ward staff will arrange the care services you need to return home safely. They will also work with other health and care professionals and voluntary services to ensure that your ongoing healthcare needs are met and your independence is supported.
How long will I receive the service for?
Any care you receive at home after you leave the hospital will be provided for a short period. This type of support is often known as reablement.
While you are receiving support, a member of our adult social care team will assess your long-term support needs.
We will work with you to provide support for any needs which are assessed as eligible under the Care Act. We will also provide information, advice and signpost to support for anything else.
If you have more complex needs, or cannot receive care at home, the NHS will arrange a short-term care placement for you in the community. The hospital ward staff will choose a suitable placement based on the level of support you need at the time of your discharge. The short-term care placement options are located across both Solihull and Birmingham.
For a small number of people, short-term rehabilitative services may not be suitable. In this case, we will support you to access the long-term care you need.
What is the cost of short-term support?
Any short-term support you receive – excluding any care that was in place prior to your hospital admission – will be provided free of charge. It will be provided until your reablement support has completed and your long-term care needs have been assessed.
If you are eligible for long-term adult social care, you will need to complete a financial assessment to determine how much you need to pay towards the cost of your care.
We will notify you when you need to start paying.
What if I need long-term care?
If you have been discharged from hospital to a care home, your needs assessment will take place there.
Our aim is to support you to return home and arrange care at home if needed. If this is not possible, we will talk to you and your family, if you wish for them to be involved, about alternative options.
If you would prefer to arrange your own care, we will provide information on how to do this.
Support for carers
If you are supporting someone who has recently been in hospital and you will be looking after them when they are discharged, we can offer you a carer’s assessment.
Our am I a carer? page provides further information about being a carer.
If you want this assessment to start before the person is discharged, please contact our Hospital Team as soon as possible by:
- phone: 0121 424 2537 (Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm)
- email: solhospsecured@solihull.gov.uk
Otherwise, we will complete your carer’s assessment at the same time as we complete any needs assessments for the person you care for.