Hospital discharge care is visiting support for someone coming home after a stay in hospital. It is planned around the discharge prescription and any community follow-up. From £31 per hour, VAT-exempt.
If discharge is imminent, use our fast-track form.
The first week home is the hardest
Many problems show up in the first few days home. The support that was there on the ward disappears when the front door closes. The fridge is empty. Medication has often changed. Sleep is poor, and confidence is usually lower than anyone expects.
A few well-timed visits each day can help your Mum or Dad recover at home, with the right help at the right moments, and no more help than they want.
A typical first week looks like this. Visits are agreed at assessment and change with recovery.
| Visit | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Morning, 30 to 45 minutes | Help to get up, wash and dress. Breakfast, a drink and a medication prompt. A check that the home is safe and warm. |
| Lunchtime, 30 minutes | A hot meal or something for later. Fluids. A short walk around the home to rebuild confidence. |
| Evening, 30 to 45 minutes | An evening meal, a medication prompt, and help to settle comfortably for the night. |
| Overnight, optional | A waking or sleeping carer where nights feel unsafe, agreed separately. |
Many families start with twice-daily visits and reduce them as recovery progresses. We review the plan with you in the first fortnight.
What home care helps with after discharge
Carers also help with transfers from bed to chair and using walking aids. Carers flag any concern early. Every visit is logged in the Birdie app, so families can see carer notes, mood and medication records as they happen.
How quickly care can start
We will not promise care within 24 hours, because that would mean letting someone down when the rota is full. What we can offer:
- A same-day call back if you contact us during office hours.
- A clear answer on capacity within hours.
- A first visit within the same week, in most discharge cases we take on.
- A plain ‘not yet’ if we cannot cover the visits reliably, and a referral to another regulated local provider if that helps.
For an urgent discharge, call 01636 646915. Outside office hours, use the fast-track form and we will come back to you within a few hours, between 7am and 10pm.
Reablement, free short-term care, and what comes next
After a hospital stay or a fall, the NHS or your local council may arrange reablement. This is free, short-term support at home, usually for up to six weeks, focused on rebuilding independence. Where it is offered, we encourage families to take it.
Reablement has limits. Not everyone qualifies. It can end before someone has found their feet. It rarely covers early mornings, late evenings or weekends in full. Private home care can fill those gaps, take over when reablement ends, or provide everything from day one. There is no waiting list for a council assessment.
Where there is a primary health need, the entire cost of care may be met through NHS Continuing Healthcare, though that assessment takes time. Many families start privately while longer-term funding is explored.
The same familiar faces
Recovery is easier when the person at the door is someone your family member knows. We aim to give each client a core team of up to four carers.
Wherever possible, we introduce the carers who will be visiting before care starts, so the first morning home is a known face. The person supporting your Dad has been recruited, trained and supported by the same small team that manages his care.
Costs for discharge support
Discharge care is charged at our standard rates. That is £31 per hour, or £17 for a 30-minute visit, plus a flat £2.50 travel charge per visit. Care is VAT-exempt.
There is no minimum contract for discharge support. Our full costs and funding guide sets out private funding, Local Authority direct payments and NHS Continuing Healthcare in more detail.
Questions to ask before discharge day
Discharge can happen quickly. These questions are best asked on the ward.
- Has a discharge plan been written and shared with the family?
- Has your family member been assessed for equipment, such as rails, a raised toilet seat, or a bed downstairs?
- Has medication been reviewed, and will a supply come home?
- Is reablement being arranged, and how long will it last?
- What is the plan when reablement ends?
- Who is the point of contact if there are concerns in the first few days?
If you are unsure of any answer, ask the ward nurse or discharge coordinator.
Discharge support near Newark and Grantham
Most families we support after discharge are arranging home care in Newark or along the A1 towards Grantham.
Newark Hospital on Boundary Road provides inpatient, day case, outpatient and urgent treatment services. Grantham and District Hospital has a 24-hour Urgent Treatment Centre and serves families across South Lincolnshire. We also support people coming home from King’s Mill, Queen’s Medical Centre and Lincoln County.
Helping at Home is not part of the NHS discharge pathway. We are a private provider and work independently of hospital discharge teams. We do not have formal arrangements with any hospital.
For discharge teams and social workers
If you are a discharge coordinator, ward nurse, social worker or case manager, you are welcome to contact us directly. We confirm capacity the same day and tell you when we cannot cover a case.
We can join a discharge planning conversation, or take a referral by phone on 01636 646915 or by email at hello@helpingathome.co.uk. We work alongside reablement and community teams. Our Registered Manager, Courtney Pike, oversees every care plan.
Where we cover
We arrange discharge support for families across Newark, Grantham, Bingham, Retford, Ollerton, Southwell, Collingham and North Hykeham, and the villages around them.
