Rehabilitation, recovery and reablement

In 2017 and 2018, Healthwatch South Gloucestershire undertook a programme of work to understand the experiences of people during hospital discharge and the support they received post-discharge to remain independent within their own homes. This included learning and development visits to two local care homes and a hospital ward, Enter and View visit to Henderson Ward at Thornbury Hospital, patient interviews at follow-up appointments after discharge and visit to two rehabilitation units. They found that patients in smaller care homes always did not receive the same resources for rehabilitation as the larger dedicated wards or units; most patients from the Henderson ward and from the rehabilitation units had positive experiences about discharge and follow-up care although few experienced delays in discharge. The report made four recommendations and received responses from one of the two care providers.