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Help to get loved ones home in time for Christmas

Ellis Whitehouse
Getty Images The hands and arms of a nurse rest on the hands of an elderly woman with rings on her fingersGetty Images

Hospitals are calling on families to help get the right care in place for their loved ones to return home for Christmas.

Bosses at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board said many people currently in hospitals could spend Christmas at home with the right measures.

The board said teams were working to ensure all those who could return home for Christmas would be able to – but loved ones could take simple steps to help.

These include ensuring homes are warm, comfortable and well stocked with food and medicine plus using the right health service at the right time.

The board said research shows that staying in hospital longer than necessary – especially for older patients – can lead to a decline in physical health and increase the risk of infections.

One week in bed for someone over 80 can result in the equivalent of 10 years of muscle ageing, it added.

Families and friends can also provide ongoing support by cooking meals, washing and dressing, and supporting hospital follow ups, the board said.

Understanding discharge plans, help with administering medications and knowing the right equipment to use, can also help.

The care board added that having details of who to contact with concerns like medical side effects or equipment failure are important for ongoing care.

Easing pressure on hospitals

Sarah Stanley, executive clinical director at the board, said: "Spending Christmas in hospital may be necessary for some, but many people who are currently in hospital could go home with the right support in place.

"Not only does this help patients to continue their recovery safely at home, but it also helps to ease pressures on local hospitals so they can care for those most in need.

"Family and friends can help them to get home by making sure they can provide or arrange transport home, stocking up their fridge, popping the heating on and making sure their loved one has got everything they need to continue their recovery at home."

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