NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is calling for support from patients’ families and carers to help maintain strong hospital flow and avoid unnecessary delays, particularly over the winter months.
As winter pressures mount, families are being encouraged to assist their loved ones, where possible, by making the necessary arrangements to help them return to the comfort of their home.
NHSGGC is asking families and carers to support the ‘Home for Lunch’ initiative by:
- Arranging transport in advance, if required.
- Ensuring appropriate clothing is available for travel.
- Making sure their loved one has access to their home.
- Preparing essentials at home, such as food and heating.
Getting a patient back to their home environment, which could also include a care home in some cases, gets them back to their personal comforts and avoids the well-known risks associated with prolonged hospital stays, especially with older patients.
Patients and families are also being encouraged to consider Power of Attorney. Power of attorney allows your wishes and preferences to be clear, as if the time comes when you are unable to make those decisions for yourself, your next-of-kin, family, or other people close to you will not have the legal right to make decisions on your behalf. Therefore, the Power of Attorney can give you peace of mind, as you will know that you have the support of someone you trust.
Without a Power of Attorney in place, delays in the discharge process are more likely. Approximately a third of patients are delayed returning home due to not having one.
More information on Power of Attorney and setting one up is available at mypowerofattorney.org.uk.
Professor Angela Wallace, Executive Director of Nursing at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, explained: “We don’t want our patients to be spending their time waiting to get home. We know that every patient’s time is so precious, and we are leading on many new ways of working together with patients, families, and our teams to reduce unnecessary time spent in hospital.
“No one wants to be in hospital at Christmas and we’re doing all we can to support those who are well enough to go home or to a care home setting to do so. Getting a patient back to a homely setting also has a significant positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people and ensures we have the ability to care for people who urgently need care and for those people awaiting planned operations.”
For further information on patient discharge, visit Home for Lunch – NHSGGC.
