Ethnically diverse people's experience of reablement and intermediate care services

Healthwatch Kirklees undertook research on ethnically diverse people's experience of enablement services as they found from previous engagement that these services are mainly accessed by White British people .  They wanted to understand the reasons for this.

During July 2024 they spoke to 123 people, including some staff who either work in intermediate care, reablement or support hospital discharge.

Findings

Ethnically diverse people have very little understanding of what these services are and how they could meet their cultural, religious and language needs.

There’s not enough information available to people about what these services offer and the information that is available is not available in community languages.

People are unsure about cost of services (even though they’re free for up to 6 weeks, they don’t trust this unless it’s written down), and who will pay for any ongoing care once support from intermediate care or reablement ends.

There is a lot of stigma around accepting care based in care homes and receiving care in the home.

Staff in hospitals have to rely on patients’ family and friends to translate information about post-discharge services which is not ideal.

Recommendations include:

Improve the information available to people about intermediate care and reablement and that it's available in community languages.  Ensure financial information is included,

Look at how stigma around accepting this type of care could be can be reduced.  This could include sharing positive experiences and examples of how the services can provide personalised, culturally appropriate care; share these experiences with people who are influential in ethnically diverse communities.

Improve access to interpreters for staff in hospitals who are planning discharge where there are ongoing care needs.