Emergency hospital readmissions in England between 2010/11 and 2016/17 have increased 19.2% from 1,157,570 to 1,379,790. This is according to the Nuffield Trust who obtained Hospital Episode statistics to review the trends in 30-day emergency hospital readmissions.
The BBC reported that the University of Aberdeen found in Scotland geriatric hospital admissions are up for the third year in a row. Which is likely to be a similar trend across England and Wales too. A detailed Healthwatch England inquiry a few years ago also found that the current hospital discharge system is contributing towards many unnecessary readmissions.
One instance they cite is the case of an 81-year-old stroke survivor who was sent home in a taxi after his wife was told he was being sent to a rehabilitation centre. In addition to isolated incidents, it is clear that many hospitals are failing to record whether the patient’s home environment was suitable.
The discharge process is well known to LifeConnect24, as we are involved on a daily basis. We frequently receive calls from concerned people whose elderly relative is being discharged from the hospital.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “No patient should have to face going in and out of hospital unnecessarily and we expect the NHS to work closely with local authorities to ensure people are treated in the most suitable setting and when they are discharged from hospital they have a care plan in place.”
Personal Alarms – Supporting the Elderly
In these situations, a personal alarm can be part of the solution. Personal alarms are an affordable, non-intrusive way of making sure you or your loved one is safe at home. They come in two important parts; the base unit and a pendant button.
The pendant alarm allows the user to either wear their pendant around their wrist or around their neck. A wrist valtrex strap and neck cord are both provided inside the box so it is completely down to the user which option they choose.
The system allows the elderly, especially those going through the hospital discharge system, to call for help if they suffer from a fall or have any other medical incidents. All he or she needs to do is to press the red help button on their pendant or alarm base unit.
This will send a help alert through to our 24/7, TSA Accredited Response Team who will be ready to call for help on your behalf with our service. After trying to speak with you over the base unit’s loudspeaker system, he or she will call for your emergency contacts to ask them to go round to your home urgently. The emergency services will also be called for by the Response Team if they are required at the scene.
Call us on 0800 999 0400 today to discuss how a personal alarm can help you or take a read of our in-depth personal alarm guide.
*Orginal article updated August 2019
