PEOPLE who are ready to leave hospital should get home in time for lunch on their day of discharge – that is the new goal for staff and carers within Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership.
In a new push to reduce delays in discharge, patients, Carers, and hospital staff are being asked to work together to get people home early in the day. This will help avoid the risks of a prolonged hospital stay, as well as freeing beds for people who need them.
Anyone in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Galloway Community Hospital or any other hospital across Dumfries and Galloway should now be given a planned date of discharge by the healthcare team as early as possible. As the date approaches, staff will work with the patient and any Carers to plan their journey home – arranging transport, checking that their home is ready for them, and getting any discharge medication the patient will need.
| IF YOU ARE A PATIENT, you should: | IF YOU ARE A CARER, you should: | YOUR HEALTHCARE TEAM will: |
| share any concerns you have about discharge with the team looking after you, as early as possible in your hospital stay ask the team looking after you about your ‘Planned Date of Discharge’ and be involved in your discharge planning arrange transport home ensure you have your house keys expect to leave hospital before 12 noon on your discharge date | be involved in discharge planning ensure that suitable clothing and footwear is available before the day of discharge ensure, if the person being discharged has their own specialised wheelchair, that this is available for discharge help arrange suitable transport from hospital to home ensure that the home of the person being discharged is accessible (keys or keysafe) ensure that the environment of the person being discharged home is prepared, e.g. heating on and food provided | share your Planned Date of Discharge with you and your carers plan your discharge in partnership with you and your carers and keep you informed about any plans for assessment or support at home arrange for any discharge medication you require to be available for the morning of your discharge arrange patient transport for their discharge home where required to meet specific mobility needs of a person being discharged |