Planning optimum hospital discharge for older people

摘要

In October 2012 Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb launched the Hospital 2 Home resource pack, which is designed to support older people who are returning to their homes after a stay in hospital. The resource pack provides important information for staff who work in the health, housing, social care and voluntary care sectors and is designed to help them to improve co-ordinated support for older patients who are being discharged from hospital to home. This will make it easier for nurses and others involved in hospital discharge to support older patients to return safely to their homes and importantly to reduce the risk of unnecessary readmission. The resource pack has been developed in collaboration with a number of agencies including the Royal College of Nursing, the College of Occupational Therapists, Age UK and The King's Fund. Background It is recognised that delays in discharge after a period of treatment in hospital are stressful for elderly patients and costly to the NHS.