Short term care, including after a hospital stay

Support at home following discharge from hospital should be arranged in the hospital before you leave.  If you discharge yourself from hospital there will often be a delay in organising support at home.

When you leave hospital you may need help with things that you could easily manage before. You might need to make small changes for a short while. You may get help from your family or friends until you are able to do things for yourself. 

Ward staff can put you in touch with a home from hospital co-ordinator if the hospital has one. You can ask for a family member or friend to be with you to discuss your options.

If you will find it difficult to manage at home without help you will need to have an assessment before you go home, to identify your needs and discuss the support available.

If appropriate, we can arrange short term support for when you return home to help you recover and maintain your independence, for example:

  • medicine management
  • reablement
  • provision of aids and equipment
  • rehabilitation e.g. physiotherapy + occupational therapy
  • confidence building
  • continence care
  • help with preparing meals
  • personal care e.g. washing and dressing 

We do not usually provide the following:

  • domestic activities e.g. routine cleaning
  • shopping
  • laundry
  • care of pets
  • finances

Some elements of care may be funded by the NHS for a short time period following discharge from hospital. You should receive information about this, if it applies to you, as part of the discharge process.

Care Network Help at Home Service

Care Network offers a free Help at Home service for any adult who has left hospital. This is up to six weeks of practical and emotional support.

Care Network also has Community Navigators who can provide information and guidance. They can also direct you to other organisations which can help you. Find out more about Community Navigators.

Sourcing care privately

You can organise your own care when leaving hospital. We would recommend that you find an agency through the Guide to Independent Living, working in partnership with us and/or NHS Choices, to find suitable care and check it meets national standards. The Care Quality Commission website can tell you about providers’ standards of quality and safety.

Contact details for hospital discharge planning teams

If you were discharged from Addenbrooke's Hospital:
South Transfer of Care Team
Addenbrooke's Hospital, PO Box 195, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ
Tel: 01223 729165

Email: discharge.dutyteam@cambridgeshire.gov.uk 

More information on preparing to leave Addenbrooke's

If you were discharged from Hinchingbrooke Hospital:
North Transfer of Care Team
Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, PE29 6NT
Tel: 01223 703550

If you were discharged from Peterborough City Hospital: 
North Transfer of Care Team, Level 3, Peterborough City Hospital, Edith Cavell Campus, Bretton Gate, Peterborough PE3 9GZ 
Telephone: 01733 677 518

Reablement is a programme of short term support to help you retain or regain your independence. We will help you to keep doing the things you tell us are important.

This might include:

Am I eligible for reablement?

  • Reablement will be considered for all adults after a stay in hospital. Ward staff will identify if reablement could help you.
  • Your GP or another professional may also refer you for reablement.

Your progress will be reviewed throughout your reablement programme. Most people find that after their reablement programme they can cope very well on their own, without the need for further care and support.

If ongoing support is necessary, you may pay towards this depending on your financial circumstances. 

For more information please contact us:

Adult services online form
Telephone: 0345 045 5202
9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

(If you are currently receiving reablement support you can call us on 01223 699415.)

Shared Lives carers share their homes with adults who need support. Shared Lives offers both long term placements and short term support. Find out more about Shared Lives

Care homes can provide short term care as well as longer term placements. Find out more about organising residential care.

Contact us

Related links 

Short term care can build your confidence to help you to remain independent, provide support after a hospital stay, or provide respite for carers.