Going home from the hospital is an important step in your recovery. However, understanding what equipment and ongoing care you’ll need can be overwhelming for you and your family.
Simon from our Stroke Helpline answers some commonly asked questions.
What happens when I get discharged from hospital?
When you're ready to leave the hospital, your stroke team will work with you to agree on what support you'll need at home and put together a discharge plan. This will cover all the arrangements for your continued rehabilitation and care at home. This could include carers coming in to help you get washed and dressed, adaptations for your home or visits from speech and language therapists to help with communication difficulties.
Where can I get equipment from, such as a hospital bed?
Occupational therapists and your hospital stroke team will look at what equipment you’ll need to manage safely at home before you’re discharged from the hospital. You can keep the equipment for as long as you need it.
Occasionally, there can be issues with equipment being delivered in time. If this happens, you or your carer can contact the hospital discharge team, occupational therapist or therapy team to chase up missing equipment.
Will my physiotherapy or speech therapy continue at home?
Your community stroke team will help you with your continued care and rehabilitation once you leave the hospital. However, how often you receive rehabilitation will vary depending on how much rehabilitation you need, where you live and the availability of the community support team.
If you don’t get further support, speak to the hospital stroke team who can advise or talk to your GP for a referral to your local physiotherapy service.
Who else can support my ongoing care?
Contact your local authority to arrange a support and care needs assessment. This is usually done by an occupational therapist or social worker who will visit your home to find out what support would help you. This could include aids, such as handrails and bathing equipment, or practical help from a paid carer.
They’ll also do a financial assessment to see how much, if anything, you’ll need to contribute towards the cost of your care.
For more information and support
Call our Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100, email helpline@stroke.org.uk or read our information on hospital discharge and our ‘Equipment for independent living and mobility’ guide. If you’d like a print copy of our guide, call 0300 3300 740.
Stroke News magazine
This article is featured in the summer 2023 edition of our magazine, Stroke News. Subscribe to our future editions available in print, on audio CD, or via email.