A specialist support centre to prevent people discharged from hospital ending up in care is opening in Liverpool.
Granby Reablement Centre in Toxteth will offer intensive help and support to get people back on to their feet so they can return home following a spell in hospital due to accident or illness, rather than ending up in a residential or nursing home.
Around £400,000 has been spent transforming the building – formerly a council residential home – into a 30 bed unit where patients will spend up to six weeks being helped back on to their feet and assessed.
Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for adult social care, Councillor Roz Gladden, said: “Being stuck in hospital longer than needs be after surgery is not good for people. They are taking up a bed that could be used by someone else, but it is really important they don’t go home too early in case they have an accident or fall.
“All of the feedback that we get from people is that they just want to be able to return home following a spell in hospital and the thought of ending up in care can be very unsettling.
“Using reablement, we can get people out of hospital quickly, give them really intensive help over a few weeks and get them into a position where they are mobile enough to move back home in safety and comfort with a care package where needed.
“We have an ageing population in Liverpool and all of the evidence shows there is going to be an increased need for this type of unit.
“I am really proud that we have been able to make a significant investment in a new kind of care facility which is completely transforming the way in which we provide support to people so they can lead independent lives.”
The work includes a new reception, activity area and café together with a new garden room and landscaped outdoor space. The whole building has also been wi-fi enabled, to allow the use of ipads and laptops.
Over the last 12 months, the reablement team across the city has supported 627 people. More than half – 56 percent – have been able to subsequently go home without needing further support, while the remainder have been able to return with a care package. This is better than the alternative system of ‘intermediate care’ – where one in five people end up living permanently in residential or nursing homes because they don’t get intensive support.
The council is also working with health partners to develop integrated assessments to make sure people do not have to undergo separate appraisals of their needs by different health and social care organisations.
