Sitting up and taking notice has led us here at Hilton Nursing Partners to take positive action and change the cycle of delayed transfers of care from hospital.
The Kings Fund reported in their quick guide ‘Delayed transfers of care’ that longer stays in hospital are associated with increased risk of infection, low mood and reduced motivation, which can affect a patient’s health after they’ve been discharged and increase their chances of readmission to hospital. *
Given such a dismal report you can start to understand why it’s important to minimise unnecessary lengthy stays in hospital and focus on the recovery of the patient for their future wellbeing.
This is where we at Hilton Nursing Partners have taken the lead in changing the model of care and providing patients with the comfort and support they need to get back to good health in their own home.
Called Home to Decide™ the pioneering hospital discharge service is based on the principle that home is best for patient recovery rather than prolonged and unnecessary time in hospital.
The discharge pathway is simple. Via consultation with the patient and their family, and a Lead Nurse assessment of the patient’s home, a discharge plan will be developed around his or her specific needs.
The whole discharge process is co-ordinated by us and upon discharge each patient is then under the supervised and the expert care of our team.
And with 95% of patients remaining in their own homes after recover, its no wonder councils are starting to take notice.
Anne Tidmarsh, Kent County Council Director, recently commented on the success of their working partnership in reducing delayed transfers of care: “We are constantly looking for ways to deliver better outcomes for Kent residents through improved commissioning. As part of our strategy we have commissioned the Hilton Nursing Partners Home to Decide™ service.
“This will ease the ever increasing burden placed on our adult social care services and the NHS, reduce delayed transfer of care from hospitals, and the need for care home or community beds by helping the elderly maintain their independence in their own homes, within their own communities.
“Our customers really are at the heart of our commissioning approach and we believe through commissioning Home to Decide™ we are offering a more rounded person centred service.”
Another county council keen to adopt our new model recently announced they have halved their delayed transfers of care rate in less than two years.
Essex County Council have also recently commented that: “This improvement is a direct result of closer coordination between Essex County Council and its partner organisations to reduce the number of patients experiencing delayed transfer of care.”
And what do our customers say?
“A very professional team, who ensured mum was safe, comfortable and well cared for in her own home. Nothing was too much trouble. They have been particularly supportive to me.” MS, Kingston.
“The girls were very helpful and kind. I don’t know how I would have managed without them. Thank you for being there.” ME, East Kent.
With so many patients delayed in hospital beds in the UK saying ‘can I go home yet’ doesn’t it make sense to listen and create a better system with a support package that allows patients to return home as quickly as possible?
100% focused on getting patients out of hospital and recovering in their own homes. Working with the NHS and Social Care Commissioners we are successfully delivering safe, timely and supportive hospital discharges, patient assessments and patient recovery programmes via nurses, therapists and nurse led personal nursing assistants with a proven track record in freeing hospital beds, as well as reducing re-admissions and on-going social services support.
* https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/delayed-transfers-care-quick-guide
