Getting Independence Back After a Hospital Stay

When we first met Hazel, she’d just experienced a prolonged stay in hospital following a number of falls.

She had been widowed several years ago, and her close family live some distance away from her home in Chippenham. Her family became increasingly concerned about her safety and independence at home, so they arranged for Right at Home to provide support, marking the beginning of her care journey with us.

Initially, Hazel was reluctant to accept support and felt that she did not need a care package. She had worked as a registrar right up to retirement age, and had got used to living alone and relying on herself.

But after giving Right at Home a chance, it didn’t take long for Hazel to see the huge benefits that hospital-to-home care can have for someone recently discharged from hospital. After the first week, she quickly grew to enjoy the visits from our Care Assistants. She particularly enjoys getting to know the team, hearing about their lives, families and backgrounds, and sharing conversations with them. These friendly interactions have helped her build trusting relationships and have become an important part of her daily routine.

We worked together with Hazel to create a Care & Support Plan ideal for her healing process. Our Carers provided assistance four times a day, helping with personal care, mobility, and daily living tasks, so that she could rehabilitate at home without any stress or overstraining.

Through consistent, person-centred support and encouragement from the care team, Hazel steadily regained her confidence and independence. Within just two weeks, Hazel's care package was reduced as she became more capable of managing tasks independently. Her care package was gradually changed to a morning visit only, and she was pleased to continue her support with Right at Home on a private basis following the end of her discharge funding.

Later on in Hazel’s care journey, she once again had hospital-to-home care following a toe amputation. She experienced a decline in mobility and needed some extra support.

At that time, we quickly adapted her Care & Support Plan to ensure she had the support she needed to recover safely and speedily while living comfortably at home. We introduced additional lunchtime and evening visits within two hours of identifying the increased need for support. Through encouragement and rehabilitation-focused care, her recovery progressed smoothly, and we could gradually reduce visits again.

Today, Hazel has returned to her usual routine at home without care visits, demonstrating our commitment to helping people regain and maintain their independence wherever possible. While she no longer requires regular visits at home, Hazel currently receives one visit a week, usually with Debs, her favourite Care Assistant, to support her with groceries and shopping trips to Chippenham High Street, and she remains independent with other aspects of her daily life.

Hazel’s story shows that great homecare is about more than meeting practical needs. It's about building trusted relationships, providing meaningful companionship, and supporting people to live life on their own terms. 

Like Hazel, many of our Clients value their independence, and this can lead to some initial reluctance surrounding homecare. But on the contrary, just getting a little bit of extra support can promote independent living and empower you to maintain your usual routine and lifestyle as much as possible, regardless of any care requirements you may have.

Reflecting on the support she receives from Debs, Hazel said, "Debs is absolutely marvellous. Without her support, I wouldn't be able to get any food!" 

She also shared, "All the Care Assistants, whether male or female, have been so good. They've helped me feel that I can do things for myself and have encouraged me to stay independent."