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Support from family and friends

After leaving hospital, you may only need support from your family or friends.

If you are receiving support from family or friends, we refer to them as unpaid carers. Providing information, advice and support to unpaid carers can be really important to help them support you. For more information about the support available to carers see, advice for carers.

Age Concern Tyneside South (ACTS)

Age Concern can provide support as part of their .

This support can be practical or emotional and includes:

• providing you with transport home from hospital, or meeting you at home to help you get settled-in
• week by week support with practical day to day tasks such as shopping or getting out and about
• telephone or home visits to see how you are doing

Their Home from Hospital Service can support you for up to a maximum of 6 weeks, but they aim to help you manage without them before that.

As you begin to feel better, they will offer encouragement and motivation to help you keep active and healthy. They will help you find out about other support through ACTS or other groups and activities in your area to help you get back to your usual routine or find new interests and hobbies.

Equipment to help you live independently

You may only need support with the use of equipment.

There is a wide range of equipment that can help people with everyday tasks that may have become an issue because of disability, ill-health or due to changes as we grow older.

For more information, see how to get equipment for yourself.

The Wellbeing and Independence Service (WIS)

The Wellbeing and Independence Service (WIS) can:

• support you in your own home
• remind you to take your medication
• call you to make sure you are out of bed
• make sure you have had regular meals

Assistive technology

Assistive technology is a range of electronic aids that can help you live independently and safely in your own home.

Selected assistive technology can be installed at no cost for the first 6 weeks, as part of an assessment period alongside WIS.

This technology includes: 

• An alarm unit and pendant
• A digital clock

For information on packages and types of equipment see, assistive technology.

Your care and support will be reviewed weekly with the social care team and the home care provider to determine next steps.

You can also refer yourself for WIS and for assistive technology see, apply for assistive technology.

Home Independence and Crisis Support Services (HICSS)

The Home Independence and Crisis Support Service (HICSS) is provided by our home care providers and can support you in your own home for a short time to help you regain your independence.

A social care professional will arrange for you to be supported by this service.

The team will work with you to set goals specific to your needs.

The service can't give set times for visits to your home, but they will be reasonably timed and spaced depending on what you require support with.

This will help us to understand your future needs and how these can be met.

Support is usually for a few days but can be longer if you need to regain further independent living skills. During this time your carers and an assessor will review your need for support and confirm whether you need ongoing support which will be provided.

HICSS is free of charge until any long-term needs are assessed (up to 6-weeks only).

24-hour live-in carer service

24-hour live-in carer service is a short-term option to support your return home for an assessment period. This is to determine how to best meet your needs long-term.

You will receive this support for two weeks.

The service provides consistent, person-centred care in your own home, that is round the clock, from a dedicated carer.

The support aims to improve your mental health and well-being, by supporting you to have more control over your daily routines, while having care and support on hand whenever you need it.

A social care professional will arrange this care, if they feel you need this level of support when being discharged.