. s n o i t p O
www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
Northampton
A Guide to your Discharge from Hospital Autumn 2014 | Issue 1
How am I referred to the Health Partnership Discharge Team?
The assessment process
START
(Short Term Assessment and Re-ablement Service)
24 hour
care homes
Discharge from Hospital
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
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Contents ...................................................................................................................Page Our hospital team – Health Partnership Discharge Team.....................................4 How am I referred to the Health Partnership Discharge Team?...........................5 The assessment process..................................................................................5-6 Continuing NHS Care.........................................................................................6 Getting the most out of your assessment...........................................................7 More about the assessment...............................................................................7 Assessments and carers......................................................................................8 Intermediate care...............................................................................................9 Avery Care Homes.............................................................................................9 START (Short Term Assessment and Re-ablement Service).................................10 24 hour care homes.........................................................................................10 Discharge from Hospital...................................................................................11 Problems or queries.........................................................................................11 Assistive Technology – What is it?....................................................................12 Other sources of help for when you have left hospital......................................14 Important Information before you leave – Self Checklist...................................15 The Friends and Family Test..............................................................................16 Age UK Northamptonshire..........................................................................18-21 Alzheimer’s Society Services in Northampton...............................................22-23
Introduction For most patients, being discharged from hospital to their home is straightforward. Most are unlikely to need ongoing support from Health or Social Services, though some may need information or advice about services available in the community.
from Health and Social Services work together to plan and deliver services to support such people on discharge. This guide explains some of these processes, and explains the role of Multidisciplinary Team approach (MDT) in the hospital discharge process.
However some people have new or ongoing health and social care needs which require a detailed assessment. Staff
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OUR HOSPITAL TEAM – Health Partnership Discharge Team
Our team comprises of health and social care workers, enabling a holistic approach to safe & effective patient discharge. Within this team of workers there are therapy representatives, social workers, care managers, care coordinators, intermediate care nurses and discharge facilitators, who assist the ward staff to ensure patients are discharged safely to the appropriate destination.
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How am I referred to the Health Partnership Discharge Team? Planning for discharge normally begins at the point, or even before, you are admitted to hospital. The discharge process will be coordinated by a member of the nursing team on the ward. Following an initial assessment by nursing and medical staff, you will be referred, with your consent, to the Health Partnership Discharge team if you appear to have any health or social needs that require assessment in order
to facilitate your discharge from hospital. This commences when the ward send a section 2 referral Notification to the Discharge Facilitators within the team. (as per Delayed Discharge Act 2003). You can also give your consent to your carer who can ask for you to be referred to the Discharge team. If you have any queries whilst an inpatient or want any general advice ask your nurse to contact the department.
The assessment process A member of the discharge team allocated to your particular ward will contact you. The assessment is not a test, but a way of working out what your needs are and which ones might be putting you at risk or preventing your discharge.
alongside you to:
The assessment process will start with discussions with the ward staff, with you and your family/ carers. This process of information gathering and clarification of the situation will enable the Health Partnership Discharge Team staff to work
Depending on how complex your needs are, other specialist assessments may also be required. >>
â– identify your needs â– give you information about services that could immediately support you to be discharged from hospital or support you in the longer term.
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The referral process and time scales for assessments are outlined in the Delayed Discharge Act 2003. The length of time required to complete the process can vary depending on how complex your needs are. In the Health Partnership Discharge team, we aim to do what we can to help people to live independently and safely. We work within resources available to us, and
therefore ensure that we prioritise the people who are in greatest need of help. This guide tells you more about assessments and eligibility criteria. It also tells you about what will happen after you have an assessment. This may be relevant to you if you are an older person (65+), have a physical or sensory disability, have mental health problems, or have a learning disability.
Continuing NHS Care If you have complex, ongoing health care needs the team involved in your care, must first consider whether you meet the eligibility criteria for Continuing NHS Care. If you are entitled to NHS continuing healthcare the health authority staff will discuss with you how your needs and care will be managed. This can be provided in any setting e.g. your own home, a nursing home, but as we have a Discharge to assess model of care in the hospital this screening and assessment process will be undertaken in the community. If you do meet the criteria a comprehensive assessment of all your needs will be completed by the multidisciplinary team (MDT) in the community setting. This is the collective name for the different professionals involved in your care i.e. doctor social worker, nurse etc.). If you are not eligible to receive NHS continuing health care but still have health needs, then the NHS may pay for part of the package for support, this is called a joint funded package. (For more information please visit www.dh.gov.uk)
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Getting the most out of your assessment You might want to prepare for your assessment by jotting down anything you want to talk through with us. What is difficult for you? What kind of help are you having at the moment? Are some days much easier than others? If so, why do you think this is?
We know that there are some things which can be difficult or stressful to talk about, but please don't be embarrassed. We will understand your feelings and respect them. If your first language is not English, or if you use sign language, we can arrange for an interpreter. Please let us know what you need.
More about the assessment Once the ward has asked for an assessment, one of our staff will come and visit you on the ward. You can have a friend or relative with you at the assessment, if you wish. The assessment is free and will involve discussions about; ■ What difficulties you are having at the moment; ■ What type of help you feel is needed; ■ How stressful and urgent you feel your situation is. We look at four main areas of life: 1) How much control you have over your own life, and how easy or difficult you find it to make decisions about the way you live 2) Your health and safety, including any risks to your mental health or wellbeing
and domestic chores, and how well you are able to manage them 4) H ow well you are able to involve yourself in family responsibilities, community life, and work or study. We may want to get information from other people, such as the Ward, Doctor, Therapists and family etc. We might share some of the information you give us with other people, but only when it is necessary to help to plan your care, on a 'need to know' basis with your consent. On the assessment form we write down everything we discussed and agreed with you during the assessment, and also anything we might have disagreed about. Following the assessment, we will give you information about support that may be available, and any charges involved.
3) Your daily routines, such as personal care
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ASSESSMENTS AND CARERS If you have a carer – a relative or friend who provides you with unpaid help – we may want to talk to them about what help they are able and willing to give. Carers may also be entitled to support which helps them in their caring role. If you have an identified carer, this would also be an appropriate time for them to receive a carer's assessment from Adult Services. Please ask us for more information on this.
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Intermediate care Some people may no longer require the services of the acute general hospital but are unable to go directly home due to either a health and/or social care reason. Intermediate Care is a range of both bedded and community based services that are available to this group of people so that they can access continuing rehabilitation to increase independence and hopefully enable them to go back to their previous place of residence. In some cases the daily multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting may recommend a period of rehabilitation in order to maximise your independence and enable you to live at home as independently as possible. If a period of medical rehabilitation is required then you will be referred to a community hospital and an assessor from the community hospital will ensure you fit the criteria and you will be transferred to the first available bed. However, you need to be aware that
this may not be closest to home. There are also intermediate beds for reablement in a social setting which is provided by specialist care centres. These centres provide a period of reablement for up to six weeks where medical needs are not required. There are three centres in the county and you will be expected to go to the first available bed, wherever that may be. For those people who are able to be discharged home but who require continuing rehabilitation, with or without additional support, you may be referred to the Intermediate Care Team to facilitate discharge from hospital. The Intermediate Care Team is a multidisciplinary team of specialist doctors, nurses and therapists who provide short term rehabilitation, assessment, treatment and monitoring to increase a person’s independence and reduce dependency on long term care.
Avery Care Homes The hospital also use beds contracted from Avery care Homes for when the patients have completed their acute phase of treatment until they have their discharge services in place.
These beds are for short stay up to 28 days maximum use only. They are not permanent beds for patients and are also not convalescence beds.
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START You may be assessed as benefitting from START (Short Term Assessment and Re-ablement Service) for your return home. The START service provides re-enablement for adults aged 18 years and over within their own homes. START helps people who have experienced a sudden change in health to help you regain your confidence and your ability to do things for yourself and to achieve optimum levels of independence and therefore remain safely at home. The service could be for a few days or
a little longer (maximum 6 weeks) and in most cases is a free service whilst we work with you to decide what help you may need in the future. START can help you if you need specialist equipment and work with you to encourage and support you. If the need for continuing help is identified during this period you will be assessed under Northamptonshire County Councils Fair Access to Care Services criteria and a financial assessment would be undertaken as there may be a charge for services.
24 hour care homes If it is felt that you can no longer manage at home even with support, the decision may be for you to move to a care home. You and your family will be involved in this decision. The assessment will identify your care needs. This will help you and your family to select a registered care home which will be able to meet your needs. There are 3 categories of care homes. ■ Residential care – provides accommodation, meals, care and support throughout the day and night. ■ Nursing care – offers the same as residential care with the addition of 24
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hour care by a qualified nurse. ■ Dementia care or EMI (Elderly Mentally Ill) care – which provide specialist extra care for people often due to dementia or other mental health diagnosis. During the care planning process you should be supported to identify a suitable care home which is registered to meet your needs and has a vacancy. Your Social Worker/Care Manager can help you with this process. However if the home of your choice has no vacancy, you may have to accept a place in an alternative care home until a place in your home of choice is available.
Discharge from Hospital Once all assessments are completed the Health Partnership Discharge Team staff member will discuss with you what help may be available and decide with you how your care needs can best be met.
Your discharge should take place in a timely fashion. We will endeavour to give you a copy of your individual social care assessment and support plan before leaving hospital. If this is not possible we will give you a discharge letter giving you an overview of your planned care.
Problems or queries If you have queries or are experiencing difficulties relating to your discharge you can either contact the Health Partnership Discharge Team staff member dealing with your case or speak to the nurse caring for you on the ward. They can also give further information and contact details you may find helpful. Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust endorse any of the products or services.
OCTAGON DE S IG N & M A R K E T I N G LT D
Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information given in this publication is accurate. Whilst the publisher would be grateful to learn of any errors, it cannot accept any liability over and above the cost of the advertisement for loss there by caused. No reproduction by any method whatsoever of any part of this publication is permitted without prior written consent of the copyright owners. Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd. Š2014. Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Notts. S80 1PH. Tel: 01909 478822
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Assistive Technology – What is it ? Sensory, equipment and rehabilitation
■ Installing life-saving smoke and flood detectors to alert you in an emergency
Solutions which are personalised for you
■ Fitting police and home insurance approved key safes
At Olympus Care Services, we tailor our support to you and your individual needs. After meeting you in your home, our friendly team will talk to you about which products would be most beneficial. If you have a visual impairment, we can help you to access specialist equipment and provide the training you need to use it safely in and outside your home.
■ Installing specialised alerts if you have a hearing impairment
Our team of professionals has already made a huge impact on the lives of hundreds of people by:
■ Providing you with walking aids and helping you to apply for a guide dog ■ Organising registration cards and specialist rehabilitation if you have a visual impairment.
■ Helping customers to remain in their own homes instead of residential care
■ For additional support and reassurance around the clock, some of our safety products can also be connected to 24 hour specialist call centres.
■ E nabling customers to quickly contact someone in an emergency
Improving your home safety and personal security
■ Ensuring visually impaired customers are able to safely use their kitchens
Our specialist sensory and rehabilitative equipment could help you feel safer in your home.
■ Providing specialist equipment to alert customers with hearing impairments ■ Adapting room layouts so that equipment is easier to access. How we can help you
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■ Helping you to learn daily life skills and to overcome mobility challenges
We help customers who are: ■ Living with disabilities or sensory impairments
■ Installing a 24 hour emergency response solution such as a Lifeline unit
■ Recently discharged from hospital and require additional support and assistance at home.
■ I nstalling movement detectors and personal triggers
Products can also be connected to 24 hour specialist call centres.
Our Comprehensive Service Once we have arranged your practical support, we will install your equipment and carry out regular maintenance checks. We will also review your equipment from time to time, to make sure it continues to provide the most effective solution for you. If your requirements change in the future, we will sit down with you and discuss how we can best alter our support.
Social Care Response Some of the safety equipment we provide can be connected to a specialist call centre designed to offer additional support and reassurance around the clock. When the operator receives an alert from a customer, or their equipment, they will respond by contacting the emergency services, the Social Care Response team or an elected family member. The Social Care Response service operate 24 hours a day and will respond to customers whenever they need urgent help and support, but it's not appropriate to call the emergency services. The service is charged on a weekly basis according to the number of visits required. Fees are as follows: No. Yearly Call Outs Up to 3 3-10 10-18
Weekly Charge £2.50* £7.50* £12.50*
*Prices correct at time of print
Olympus House, Billing Brook Road, Weston Favell, Northampton, NN3 8JH Tel: 01604 366000
Helping you to connect to the support you need Connect to your support online – www.northampton.gov.uk/callcare What is Call Care? Our community alarm service, previously known as Lifeline and now called Call Care, provides peace of mind for people who would like to feel more secure in their own homes. It is a 24-hour, 365 day monitoring service giving you the freedom to live your life independently knowing that you can get assistance when you need it. It's a quick and simple way of getting help should you have an accident or emergency in your home. You may be unable to get to the phone for instance, after a fall, or you may have an intruder in your home. Our philosophy is simple, we believe in offering prevention, independence, peace of mind and security (PIPS) to our people so that they can live safe and secure lives within their home. How will Call Care help me? You would be able to summon help at any time, from anywhere in your home or garden. It will bring peace of mind to you, your family and friends helping you stay independent in your own home.
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Other sources of help for when you have left hospital Adult Care 0300 126 1000 www.northamptonshire.gov.uk – search for help for adults and older people If you think that you may need help from the Council you can ask for advice or a care assessment by contacting Adult Care. To make things easier for you we have set up a first point of contact for all our services called Adult Care. You can speak to an officer who will listen to your enquiry, advise and assist you, and make sure you receive an assessment if required. We can help you with: ■ Social care assessments ■ Carer's assessments ■ Safeguarding vulnerable adults ■ Disabled person parking permits (Blue Badge) ■ Adaptations within your home ■ Community alarm scheme - Call Care ■ Occupational therapy assessments ■ Any other aspect of your social care ■ Assistive technology Age UK – Northampton 01604 611200 Age UK are an independent charity whose objectives are to make the lives of older people in Northampton as fulfilling and rewarding as possible. Age UK can help you with a variety of day opportunities that are fun and offer companionship when used as part of a care plan can help older people remain healthy and well. Access to community information about housing, benefits, products and services (home insurance, motor insurance etc) www.ageuk.org.uk/northamptonshire Northamptonshire Carers – 01933 677837 Northamptonshire Carers aim to offer a comprehensive support service to the unpaid carers of Northamptonshire. We recognise their contribution to society and
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will endeavour to empower carers in improving their quality of life. Our organisation is carerled and our developments will be a response to carers’ needs. If you are a carer and would like information and advice to help you in your caring role, you can refer yourself to us by completing the on-line enquiry form at: www.northamptonshire-carers.org Community Occupational Therapy – 01604 366000 By helping you to learn new ways of completing everyday tasks, our friendly Community Occupational Therapy team could help you to do things by yourself again, such as accessing or leaving your house, safely moving around inside your home, climbing the stairs; and getting dressed and washed by yourself. By talking to you, and finding out what you would like help with, our team will identify any adaptations you might need and pass the recommendations to yourself or your local council. First Stop Care Advice First Stop Advice is an independent, free service offering advice and information for older people, their families and carers about housing and care options in later life. It is led by the charity Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) working in partnership with other national and local organisations. Their service spans housing, care, finance and rights and is delivered through their website, telephone advice line and network of local and specialist partner organisations. www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk SERVE Serve was formed in 1981 as an information and resource agency providing support for older people in the Rushden area of Northamptonshire. The organisation now covers the wider area of East Northamptonshire
and parts of Wellingborough. Serve was initially operated solely by volunteers and is proud of its traditions; it remains fundamentally a voluntary organisation but many of the services are now delivered by trained, paid staff. Serve's range of service provision covers: ■ Community Transport ■ Daily Living Equipment & Mobility Products ■ Day and Homecare ■ Handy person services ■ Hearing Aid Assistance www.serve.org.uk Physiotherapy Service – Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust at the Highfields Clinical Care Centre, Cliftonville – 03305 556789 Physiotherapists help and treat people of all ages with physical problems caused by illness, accident or ageing. Physiotherapists identify and maximise movement potential through health promotion, preventive healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation. The core skills used by physiotherapists include manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and the application of electro-physical modalities. www.nhft.nhs.uk – search for physiotherapy service. Intermediate Care Team – Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS
Trust – 0300 777 0002 The Intermediate Care Team is a multidisciplinary team of health professionals including consultant geriatricians, a psychogeriatrician, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychiatric nurses, pharmacists, rehabilitation technicians, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and dieticians. By providing a programme of assessment, treatment and monitoring, we support patients with complex, difficult or recurring health needs to manage safely at home. The service prevents unnecessary hospital admissions for adults during a health crisis and enables rapid discharge from hospital to continue medical recovery outside of the acute setting. Patients whose health needs have rapidly deteriorated due to illness or trauma can be referred back to the service as often as is necessary to help reduce the need for a hospital admission. The team is also the single point of contact for the delivery of intravenous therapy to patients in the community. District Nursing Services – contactable via your GP surgery District Nurses are highly qualified nurses that provide clinical nursing interventions to housebound individuals within the patient’s own home eg wound management, people with chronic long term conditions. The community nursing service aims to promote health and avoid acute hospital admissions.
Important Information before you leave – Self Checklist There are a number of important questions that you need to be clear on before you leave hospital, if you cannot answer ‘yes’ to one of the questions below please ask a member of the clinical team on your ward to help you gain the answer; 1. Do you feel fully informed of who to contact if you feel unwell when you get home?
2. Are you aware of the reason you have been prescribed your medication? 3. Do you know of the potential side effects you could face from your medication, and what to do in the event of one occurring? 4. Do you feel you have all the information you need before you leave hospital?
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The Friends and Family Test What is the Friends and Family Test?
you, and your details will not be passed on to anyone, so please tell us exactly what you think.
The NHS wants to ensure that you have the best possible experience of care. The Friends and Family Test is a way of gathering your feedback about this experience and helping to drive improvement in hospital services.
Do you have to respond to the question?
When you receive care as an inpatient or in an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, you will be given the opportunity to give your feedback by answering a simple question about your experience. The results will provide a way for you to easily compare NHS hospitals so that you know where you and your family can get the best possible care. The information will also give the NHS invaluable information on what patients think of services, which can be used to help make improvements if required. How will it work? When you are discharged, or within the 48 hours that follow, you will be asked to answer the following question: “How likely are you to recommend our ward/A&E department to friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment?”
How will the results be used? Your hospital will gather the results and analyse them rapidly to see if any action is required. It will publish the results and you will also be able to see results for other hospitals to see how they compare. Where will the results be published? The results will be published on the NHS Choices website (www.nhs.uk). Hospitals may also publish their results in their annual reports and quality accounts. Does this replace the existing compliments or complaints procedure, or other forms of feedback used by the hospital? No, you can still pass your compliments or complaints to your hospital in the normal way. Hospitals can continue to use existing ways of gathering feedback, in addition to the Friends and Family Test.
You will be invited to respond to the question by choosing one of six options, ranging from ‘extremely likely’ to ‘extremely unlikely’.
Where can I get more information?
It is really important to us that you tell us why you gave your answer, so please answer any follow-up questions.
For information about how the test is being carried out in your hospital please contact Rachel Lovesy, Patient Experience Lead rachel.lovesy@ngh.nhs.uk
Your answer will not be traced back to
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Your feedback is extremely important and will help to continually improve our services however, you do not have to respond to the question. Your response is voluntary.
For more information on the Friends and Family Test, please visit www.nhs.uk/friendsandfamily.
www.bluebirdcare.com
Tel: 01327 227084 / 01604 212476 Email: northampton@bluebirdcare.co.uk What we offer We offer everything from personal care to shopping, cleaning or social visits. In fact,
everything you need to stay in the comfort of your own home.
Our staff
Alternative
Our staff are caring,
Bluebird Care offers
trained to give medication
a realistic cost
and police checked.
effective alternative to
residential care. With familiar friends,
Live-in care is available
and each customer
relatives and possessions
has a named contact in
around, Bluebird Care ‘just happens’.
our organisation.
Cherry Care Services Putting your needs first
Our aim is to assist, support and care for the service user in their own home. We can help maintain and improve their independent lifestyle in accordance with an agreed care plan. • Personal care • Bathing • Help with getting in and out of bed • Meal preparation • Laundry • Household chores/shopping • Travel companion • 24 hours a day service offering a wide range of support.
For further information please contact:
Cherry Care Services
Tel: 01604 420410 Mobile: 07960 607205 Email: enquiries@cherrycareservices.com
ABINGTON PHARMACY Serving the community since 1969 51F Beech Avenue, Northampton NN3 2JG Tel: 01604 720010 Fax: 01604 720365 Email: info@abingtonpharmacy.co.uk
Are you in need of help at home? Our services support independent living: ◆ Tailor made Care Packages
◆ Support from 1 hour per Week
◆ Personal Care
◆ Live in Care
◆ Assisted Bathing and Dressing ◆ Companionship Care
1035448
As an independent family run business with over 40 years of experience meeting our customers needs, we can tailor our services to every patient. Our trained staff are always happy to help. If you’re on regular medication, let us know and we’ll sort out the ordering and collection for you and tell you when your medication will be ready – or we can deliver to you if you find it difficult to get out. We go each day to most local surgeries. We also offer: ▲ Private consultation ▲ Health screening ▲ Robotic dispensing ▲ Healthy lifestyle
▲ Medicines check up ▲ Additional services
◆ Getting up and going to Bed
◆ Days out
◆ Supervision of Medication
◆ Light House Duties
◆ Meal Preparation
◆ Laundry
◆ Palliative Care
◆ Any general day to day requirements
If you, a relative or friend are interested in learning more about our services, please contact our friendly care team on:
01604 621030 Ryan House, Unit 7 Ross Road, Weedon Road Industrial Estate Northampton, NN5 5AX Northampton Nursing & Carers Agency Ltd
your care, your home, your choice
Tel: 01604 621 030 Fax: 01604 581 314 www.nnca.co.uk
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00am - 7.00pm; Saturday 8.45am - 1.00pm
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Pictures courtesy of Northamptonshire Chamber
Age UK Northamptonshire About Us Age UK Northamptonshire, is a local, independent, voluntary organisation, serving the needs of older people in our county and part of a national family which serves the needs of older people everywhere. We recognise that you want a choice in how you are supported to continue to remain independent in your own home. The following services are designed to offer you support when and where needed to help you remain independent. Our Services Age UK Northamptonshire offers services
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which are available to older people or their carers throughout the county. A Little Help Sometimes all you need is a little help to get you back on your feet. Through A Little Help, we may be able to assist you in ways that allow you to remain independent at home and even reduce the need for hospital or residential care admissions. Aimed at people who are at risk of losing independence, our service will try to find simple solutions to meet your needs. You can access this service through your GP surgery.
Home Care Age UK Northamptonshire provides a Home Care service for older people in Northamptonshire, offering help with domestic tasks. General housework including: internal cleaning of windows, laundry, shopping, changing beds and ironing. The scheme employs domestic care workers who are security checked and supervised by Age UK Northamptonshire. Hospital Aftercare Coping with everyday tasks can be difficult after a stay in hospital. This free service provides practical and emotional support to older people who have been discharged from hospital, to re-adjust and return to independence.
Carers Service Our Carers Service supports people who care for other people who may be relatives, neighbours or friends. The service benefits carers by offering support and advice. Carers who register with the service can benefit in a number of ways: ■ Provide a carer to sit with your loved one to enable you to take a break ■ The chance to talk to someone who understands and who will really listen to you, offering support in your caring role ■ Information on matters which may concern you as a carer, for example, benefits and allowances, aids and adaptations >>
The Hospital Aftercare service can assist you with household tasks, advice and encouragement to help get you back in charge of your life. The service operates Monday to Friday. Money Management Support Age UK Northamptonshire offers a Money Management support service to help older people who are struggling with money matters. ■ Cash collections ■ Set up of Direct Debits ■ Signposting to other agencies ■ Help to regain independence with money matters
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â– Information and advice on what other services and support you could access locally and nationally, including the chance to benefit from the experiences of others and we can signpost you to carers groups across the county. Extra Help at the End of Life Age UK Northamptonshire provides care to people in the last weeks of their life, which enables them to remain at home with their loved ones. This service is only available by referral from your GP surgery or hospital staff. Shopping Our Shopping Service is designed to help older people who find it difficult or impossible to do their own shopping and have nobody else that could do it for them. A number of supermarkets work in partnership with us in Northampton, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough. Handyperson The handyperson scheme helps older people to remain independent by assisting with a range of minor household repairs. We can carry out jobs including: Fitting smoke detectors and hand rails, replacing light bulbs, fuses and plugs, small carpentry work, dealing with trip hazards such as loose carpets, moving heavy furniture and levelling paving slabs. Although it is not an emergency service, if the job is urgent we will do all we can to visit as soon as possible.
Lifetime Centres As time goes on, the interests of new generations of older people change. Our Lifetime Centres offer a range of activities to people who want to maintain a good quality of life, build new friendships and learn new skills. If you need to get out of the house for the day or just for a few hours, a Lifetime Centre is available for a cup of tea or a meal, the company of friends and much more. Lifetime Activities Our Lifetime Activities can enable people to maintain a good quality of life, build new friendships and learn new skills. Activities and courses are designed to help people remain fit and active for longer. Volunteering and Fundraising For more information about becoming a volunteer or fundraiser for Age UK Northamptonshire, call 01604 611 200. Advice and Information: To find out more about our services and to learn about how we can help you, call our Service Advice Team on: Call us on 0845 677 2220 Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am–12 noon or visit us at www.ageuk.org.uk/northamptonshire Age UK Northamptonshire 31 Billing Road, Northampton NN1 5DQ Tel: 01604 611 200 www.ageuk.org.uk/northamptonshire
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Alzheimer's Society services in Northampton Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading support and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers. There are 800,000 people with dementia in the UK and this number is set to rise to one million by 2021. With the right support, people can live well and stay independent for longer. More people affected by dementia turn for help to Alzheimer’s Society than to any other charity.
■ Dementia Cafes
Alzheimer’s Society Northamptonshire provides a range of services for people affected by dementia across the county including;
Alzheimer’s Society Northamptonshire on: (01832) 736670 Islip office (01604) 879000 Blisworth Office
■ Carer’s support
Web: www.alzheimers.org.uk/ northamptonshire
■ Peer support groups
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■ Singing for the Brain ■ Befriending for people with dementia, and carers ■ Day support centres For further information about our services or if you are interested in getting involved in our work by volunteering or fundraising, please contact; Dementia Helpline: 0300 222 1122
Email: Northamptonshire@alzheimers.org.uk
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