Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) is helping hospital patients return home safely with their Hospital to Home service.
The Hospital to Home service, which launched in 2018, aims to support elderly and vulnerable patients who have been treated at hospital and are well enough to return home, where they feel safe and can be supported to live independently.
The service works alongside hospitals to support the discharge of patients 365 days a year. During 2023/24, the service has conducted 1,508 Hospital to Home collections.
As part of the service, when the team support a patient to return home, they will also carry out a Safe and Well check. The check involves looking for potential hazards in the home that can cause slips, trips and falls, carrying out a check for possible fire hazards, inspecting electrical sockets to ensure they are safe to use, checking smoke alarms are working or installing new smoke alarms where there are none. The team will also refer patients to support services if they believe that the patient could use the support to help them remain independent in their home. The team will often re-visit patients to check they how they are since going from hospital to home.
Hospital to Home team members, Tracey and Eileen, recently supported James, 92, with returning him home after a hospital stay following a fall. The team carried out a safe and well check in James’s home and provided him with tailored support. They were able to help James by fitting a specialist smoke alarm, as he is hard of hearing, and as an extra precaution, fitted an additional wireless alarm above his bed with a flashing base which was plugged in across the room. The team discussed fire safety with James and worked with him to create a nighttime routine and escape plan in the event of a fire.
Warwickshire County Councillor Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Fire, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the Hospital to Home service and the team who make it possible.
“This service is a great example of the work our crews carry out to keep the public safe. To have completed 1,508 Hospital to Home collections through this scheme during 2023/24 is a tremendous achievement.
“It’s great to see the impact this can have on our more vulnerable residents, not just helping them to return home but also allowing us to support them in the home and ensure they have safety measures in place to help reduce their risk of fire and ensure they are getting the support they need to remain independent in their homes.”
For more information on Warwickshire Fire and Rescue service, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue.