Who to notify when going into hospital
As soon as possible, you should tell:
- the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP);
- and the Council office that deals with your Housing and Council Tax Benefit claims.
For more about the DWP pension service, visit: Contact the Pension Service (GOV.UK).
This is important. In some cases, your benefit entitlement will have to be reassessed to take account of your new circumstances. If you were not claiming any form of benefit prior to entering hospital you may now be entitled to claim.
Who to notify when coming out of hospital
You should notify:
- the DWP;
- and the Council office that deals with your Housing and Council Tax Benefit claim.
Important note: You may need to have your benefit reassessed when you return home. You may also be entitled to other benefits as a result of your illness.
To see if your benefits are affected by a hospital stay or if you can get other benefits, please contact:
- Jobcentre Plus (for working age) phone: 0345 608 8545.
- Pension Service (for pension age) phone: 0345 606 0265.
For more about benefits and allowances, visit: Disability Rights UK.
Support when leaving hospital
When you leave hospital you may need some support from Social Care. If you ask us, a Council social worker will assess what help you need. They will decide, with you, what services can be provided. We will offer you and your family any services you need, as soon as possible.
At times, the number of people who need support can exceed the availability of specific services. If this happens, we will try to find an alternative.
Our team of social workers can offer a confidential service to you (the patient) and your family or carer. This can make your discharge from hospital quicker and safer.
We will talk to any hospital patient, their carer or family member, who asks for our help. We will arrange for an interpreter or signer for our meeting, if needed. Please tell us know
For advice:
- Before you go into hospital, please contact: Gateway to Care.
- While in hospital, ask the nurse looking after you to arrange for a social worker to visit you.
If you were getting help before you went into hospital:
- the nurse looking after you will arrange for this care to resume on your return home.
If you did not have help before, but need more support on leaving hospital:
- The nurse will contact our social care staff at the hospital, who will then visit you.
.Many people leaving hospital need little help, but just information. We can probably direct you to the most appropriate source.
Other people leaving hospital may need services like:
- Reablement.
- Frozen Meals Service.
- Community Alarm.
- Other specialist support when they get home.
If needed, we can arrange help from our community teams for people who have mental health needs or learning disabilities.
We can help you work out what support you will need after leaving hospital care. We will work closely with the medical and nursing staff. Also with any occupational therapists, physiotherapists or speech therapists who have helped you in hospital.
Many people leaving hospital get help from their family and friends. If you cannot make these arrangements yourself, we will look at ways of arranging services for you.
Cost of services
In general, Community Health (NHS) Services are free.
The cost of services the Council arrange can vary, but some are free. Other services (for example, frozen meals) have a fixed charge.
Home Care and related services are charged for based on:
- your ability to pay;
- and the amount of service that you receive.
If you get services yourself, directly to you by a company or a voluntary group, make sure you:
- understand their charges;
- are able to pay.
When you get home
If you need ten or more hours of social care service each week, the Council may provide some money. This is to pay for the services in your Care Plan, so that you can arrange these for yourself. This is known as Direct Payments.
If you cannot return to your own home
If you need to move from hospital to a residential or nursing care home, we can give advice on this. Also, what cost there would be.
Calderdale Council funds a limited number of places in these homes. This is based on an assessment of your needs and finances.
Some people leaving hospital can get funding, visit: NHS continuing healthcare.