Home from Hospital scheme helps ease patients back into everyday life

10:00am Sunday 3rd March 2013 in News

Kempton Cannon and Home from Hospital co-ordinator Sally Hinds at his Addingham bungalow

For pensioner Kempton Cannon, returning to his empty house after a spell in hospital was set to be a daunting prospect.

The 90-year-old former painter and decorator, of Addingham, was anxious about how he would cope back home living alone.

But now, as a ground-breaking project expands across the whole of Bradford and Airedale for the first time, a package of help and support is available to Mr Cannon and hundreds of patients like him.

Set up a year ago, Home from Hospital is an initiative designed to ease adults of all ages safely back into everyday life after discharge from hospital.

It helps with everything from benefits guidance and restarting any home care to making sure houses are safe, and that gas, electric and water supplies are in working order.

Patients receive a hamper of food basics and a simple safety and well-being checklist, plus a friendly face or two from volunteers involved in the project, which is co-ordinated by the award-winning charity The Carers Resource.

For Mr Cannon, the visits are proving a lifeline. He said: “I do not know what I would have done, or how I would have got back on my feet, without them.

“They have helped me feel better, which in turn has helped me get better. The people who come are like old friends, as if I have known them all my life. They make sure I’m warm, eating and sleeping properly and pop to the shops like a good neighbour if I need anything.

“Having a coffee and a chat with them makes a real difference to me as I try to get back into a routine and regain my independence.”

The programme of additional support, which can last up to six weeks, was originally offered to patients being discharged from Airedale General Hospital, but now the service has been extended to include patients returning home from community hospitals across the district.

“We’ve been able to broaden the scope of the project so it is accessible to more people in our community, so you do not have to be elderly or living alone to benefit from it,” said Shelley Marshall, who manages the Home from Hospital project for the charity.

“In addition to supporting people to become more confident and comfortable when returning home, the project also helps reduce the number of hospital re-admissions.”

A display raising awareness of the scheme is being staged in Airedale Hospital – at the top of the stairs in the main entrance area – between 11am and 2pm until Tuesday.

Team members will be present to answer questions.

For further information, phone  01274 531377 .

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