Reducing re-admissions to hospital is crucial for the NHS. Readmissions cost the NHS £2.2bn per year and nobody wants to be stuck in hospital when they can be recovering confidently in their own home environment.
The Home from Hospital and Community Support project was developed to enable patients to thrive back home, safely, and comfortably, and to support our local NHS services by preventing admissions in the first place.
We recruit, train and support “Community Responders” – volunteers who have a few hours per week to support those people who benefit from the service. Being a Community Responder is a fantastic way to gain skills and experience in supporting older people. At the same time, you will also be supporting the NHS in its goal to prevent people from being readmitted to hospital. Your contribution will keep older people safe, healthy, and connected to their local community.
Patients referred to the programme receive the support of a volunteer which is flexible and short-term, designed to meet their most important needs. Support may include helping with doing some food shopping, or collecting prescriptions on the person’s behalf, emotional support through a friendly face, or practical tasks such as helping to fill in forms and making sure the person’s home is safe and secure.
Our aim is to give the person the confidence to continue their recovery successfully at home. We also seek to provide our volunteers with a memorable and meaningful volunteering experience.
