Press Release - Hospital to Home

14th July 2008

Care & Repair helps speed up hospital discharge Care and Repair launches a new ‘Hospital to Home’ service in Colwyn Bay Hospital today (19th June 2008).  Many older people feel anxious about returning home from hospital due to concerns around the safety of their home and the cost of any necessary adaptations needed. Hospital to Home, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government provides older people with information about their housing options and the services of Care and Repair. This will help them to make informed choices about returning home from hospital. An experienced Care and Repair caseworker will also be available to visit older people in hospital to help to discuss any concerns and to explore their options.  Launching the service Deputy Minister for Social Services Gwenda Thomas AM said:  “Hospital to Home will help to reduce anxiety and ease the process of returning home for older people. I would like congratulate Care & Repair on this innovative new development.” 

Nicola Maund – A Caseworker for Conwy Care and Repair also said “I am sure that Care and Repair can help to make discharge from hospital a more comfortable and speedier process for both the older person and their family and help more people to return to living safely and independently in their own homes”. Care & Repair’s Hospital to Home service is being piloted with two hospitals -   Colwyn Bay hospital in Conwy and Ystrad Mynach hospital in Caerphilly.  

Care & Repair agencies exist to enable older owner-occupiers to remain in their own homes, within their own communities, living as independently as possible, through the improvement of their housing conditions and consequent improvement in their level of comfort, health and security.  There are 22 Care & Repair Agencies across Wales.  Care and Repair Cymru is the national body for Wales which promotes, develops and supports Care & Repair Home Improvement Agency Services for older and disabled people.   For further information please contact: 

Rachel Gingell or Vera Brinkworth ( 029 20576286