A report published in June 2024 by the Homecare Association (HA) entitled “Expecting the unexpected: Homecare providers’ views of hospital discharge” lays bare the dire state of the hospital discharge process.
Endless politicians claim to ‘fix’ the NHS, social care and housing but this report paints a stark picture of the reality of political efforts so far!
The report includes a survey of 283 UK-wide healthcare providers, representing over 21000 care workers and 31000 individuals. Well over half (55%) reported that discharge paperwork fails to reflect the person’s needs and views whilst 35% of providers reported that discharges were not safe. Almost half (47%) indicated that discharges failed to meet the needs of continence care and 36% of respondents said that individuals did not have the correct medication when leaving hospital.
Even more worryingly 63% said people were being discharged too early leading to high rates of readmission and three quarters said accessing healthcare is more challenging than just a year ago.
Conversely, according to a study reported by the Daily Mail in April 2024, up to one in three hospital beds at the busiest hospitals are taken up by medically fit patients with nowhere to go.
It’s a mixed picture but not a pretty one from any viewpoint. It confirms that frontline workers’ needs are not being listened to, let alone being acted upon. Almost all of us are supported by services delivered in the digital sphere…so why are public sector agencies still reliant on manual systems and archaic home technologies?
With General Election campaigning currently in full flow, our politicians will make yet more claims about ‘fixing’ the system. Maybe, only when they have families or friends affected by this crisis, will they appreciate the need for ‘joined up thinking’ when it comes to communication and digital health technologies?
It might be a shocking state of the nation report from the HA but the opportunity for change exists!
Archangel’s ambient assisted living (AAL) platform provides an ‘agnostic’ approach to working with a wide range of certified partners from across the digital health, care and housing landscape. It provides a positive roadmap to deliver a remedy for a shift from reactive home care delivery to a proactive and preventive care model.
For example, a wider range and choice of interconnected and interoperable TEC (technology enabled care) should become available to practitioners and families to support the discharge process and inform a recovery roadmap.
Using ambient and unobtrusive sensors and systems that incorporate ADL (activities of daily living), telehealth and the home environment will aid the delivery of effective, remote monitoring for families and care practitioners and thus enable collaboration in the achievement of proactive interventions.
AAL platforms will provide greater visibility of progress and rapid alerting as to possible deterioration of individuals recovering at home following hospital admission.
The HA report incorporates a range of conclusions including the need for better communication with individuals, families and care providers about discharge plans and the involvement of homecare providers in shaping improvements to strategic service development.
We could not agree more. The views of those operating ‘at the coalface’ simply have to be listened to. At the time of writing it’s Carers Week in the UK and the importance of valuing the selfless commitment of care workers should be another critical consideration.
Ultimately, we have to work towards addressing this crisis with the objective of more successful discharges and less hospital readmissions.
With politicians of all hues recognising the parlous state of healthcare in the UK and the incredible financial pressures on the NHS, it’s more important than ever to showcase potential routes to a solution using the latest, cutting-edge technologies.
Archangel is part of that solution and we will always be committed to a constantly evolving ‘better way’ for healthcare in the home.