The findings reveal in the last five years almost 200,000 people aged over 75 returned home from hospital without the support they needed to look after themselves (2), and thousands of readmissions could be prevented if they received more help at discharge. The report, assisted by The King’s Fund, marks the launch of a campaign Let’s End Going Home Alone, which sees the charity work in partnership with communities, local authorities and NHS Trusts to provide more volunteers in hospitals and support vulnerable older people in their homes following discharge from hospital. Increased longevity is putting pressure on health and social care – over the last ten years hospital admissions for those over 75 have been rising four times faster than ageing trends in the population (38% versus 10%) (3). The growth in hospital readmissions has been higher still, up by 86 per cent.
Within the report, Royal Voluntary Service has developed the Six Essentials it believes every older person should be entitled to experience when they leave hospital:
- Every older person should be told the plan for their return from the hospital
- Every person should be accompanied home before 10pm from hospital unless their preference is different
- Every older person needs to be able to collect their prescriptions and get to follow up appointments for a speedy recovery after a stay in hospital
- Every older person should come home from a hospital to a warm, well-lit house with someone asking how they are
- Every older person should know they’ll have help to get some shopping in and won’t have to sit hungry after a stay in a hospital
- Every older person should have a friendly face to turn to for help after a stay in hospital
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Click on the PDF to download the Going Home Alone report
Filed under: Uncategorized, Elderly, Home Alone, Hospital
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