A hospital stay is one of the most common reasons families first call us. Discharge can happen quickly, and the first few weeks at home matter. This guide explains how it usually works, whether your parent is at Yeovil District, Dorset County or Salisbury hospital, and what you can do to help.
How discharge works now
Many hospitals now use a “discharge to assess” or “home first” approach. Most people go straight home, and any longer-term needs are assessed there rather than on the ward. In Somerset this is called Home First.
Your parent should be fully involved in planning their discharge, and with their permission the family should be kept informed and asked for their views. If they need more support after leaving, they will be given a plan that says who is coordinating it.
Free help for up to six weeks
If your parent needs help to get back on their feet, the NHS and the council may provide reablement or intermediate care: short-term support to rebuild confidence and independence. By law, councils must not charge for it for the first six weeks.
Equipment such as a raised toilet seat, and small adaptations costing £1,000 or less such as grab rails, are also free if your parent is assessed as needing them.
If their needs are mainly health needs, staff may also complete an NHS Continuing Healthcare checklist, which decides whether a full assessment for NHS-funded care is needed.
What to ask before they leave
A few questions on the ward can save a lot of worry later:
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Have their medicines changed?
Ask what is new or stopped, and why. People are usually sent home with about a week’s supply, so order the next prescription from the GP straight away; some surgeries need two working days.
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What follow-up appointments are booked?
Note the dates, and whether the GP has been sent a discharge letter.
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Is there any new equipment?
Check it will be at home when they arrive, and that someone has shown them how to use it.
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How are they getting home?
Families are usually expected to arrange this, so it helps to plan it as soon as a discharge date is mentioned.
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Who do we call if things are not right?
Get a name or number for the ward or the team coordinating any support.
The first weeks at home
Even a short stay can leave someone tired, wobbly and less confident than before. The practical things often matter most: a stocked fridge, proper meals, a made-up bed, prescriptions collected and someone checking in.
Falls are a particular risk. Clear loose rugs and trailing wires, and ask the GP or pharmacist whether any new medicines could affect balance. The GP can refer your parent to a falls service if needed.
Looking after a parent who has just come home is tiring. As their carer you can ask the council for your own free assessment, and these services support family carers in each county.
Dorset Carer Service (Help & Care)
Free support for unpaid carers, weekdays 9:30am to 4:30pm
Somerset Carers Service
Free advice line for unpaid carers, run by Thrive
Carers Together Wiltshire
Support and carer’s assessments for unpaid carers
How Aurora can help
We help people settle back at home after a hospital stay: stocking the fridge, cooking meals, tidying and making up the bed, collecting prescriptions and keeping the family updated. We can usually start within three days of your first call.
Kirsty, a registered nurse, can also suggest when an occupational therapist or physio might help. Aurora doesn’t currently provide personal care, so if your parent needs help with washing or dressing, that will come from the NHS, the council or a CQC-registered agency, and we can work alongside them.
