6. Discharge to assess

What is discharge to assess?

The discharge to assess process is in place to provide support to ensure you are discharged from hospital as soon as possible when you no longer require your care to be met in a acute hospital setting. This support is funded for a period of 2 weeks. This period is to provide you with time to recover, also during this time we will work with you to determine your medium and longer term needs and goals. The support may end earlier if you feel do not require the care.

Following information we have gathered from you, the hospital team, other professionals and, in some circumstances your family members, it has been agreed that as part of the plans for your discharge from hospital you will require a short period of support.

This support could be care within your own home, or, as short stay in a residential home. The support provided will be based on the level of your needs.

What happens next?

You will be contacted by your allocated adult social care professional within 3 to 5 days after you are discharged to check the care and support provided is meeting your needs.

We will arrange to meet with you to discuss your longer term goals and plans which may include returning home if you are discharged to a residential care home. We will explore the areas you may need assistance with as defined in The Care Act 2014. The Care Act criteria determines the support you may need in the following areas: eating and drinking, personal hygiene, getting dressed, home safety, maintaining a habitable home environment, maintaining relationships, engaging in work and training, accessing the local community and caring responsibilities. We will consider how these areas impact your life. You can ask for a family or friend to be there with you during this visit.

We will gather information about you and your needs and, exploring different ways to support you to remain as independent as possible. We will work with you to understand what you are able to do for yourself, what you need support with and what you need someone to do for you.

As part of our discussion we will also need to consider whether you might be eligible for funding from continuing health care. If we consider you may be eligible we will complete a checklist with you and refer you to the continuing healthcare team to arrange a further visit a nurse to complete a decision support tool to determine if you may be eligible for this funding.

Your discharge may also include assessments from occupational therapy and physiotherapy to assess what equipment or physical therapy you may need.

Will I need to pay for any ongoing care?

If it is agreed you need ongoing support after the 2 week discharge to assess period, charges will apply.

Charges apply for most care services provided by adult social care. You may be able to get some help to pay these. Some people pay a reduced amount or don’t have to pay anything at all. We will offer to carry out a financial assessment once you have completed and returned an application for a reduction in charges telling us about your income, savings and expenses. Once we have completed the financial assessment we will write to you to tell you how much you will have to pay towards your care.

If you remain in residential care after the discharge to assess period you will be asked to continue to pay a provisional charge of £188 per week to the care home until you are informed of your exact contribution. If you have over £23,250 in savings you will be expected to pay for the full cost of your care from the date the discharge to assess funding ends.

Top up payments (residential care)

If you have chosen a residential home which charges fees higher than Blackpool contracted rates any amount over and above the Blackpool contracted rate is referred to as a ‘top up’. The discharge to assess funding does not include the top up fee for residential care.

You can only pay the top up charge yourself if one of the following circumstances applies:

You are subject to the 12-weeks property disregard
You have signed a deferred payment arrangement
You are receiving care and accommodation under Section 117 for Mental Health aftercare
You have over £23,250 in savings and are paying full cost for your stay

It is recommended that independent financial advice is sought before entering into a top up agreement.

You or the person paying your top will be asked to sign a written agreement with Blackpool Council. By signing this agreement the person paying the top up is confirming that they are willing and able to make these payments for the foreseeable future.

If you or your family member cannot pay the top up fee you may be required to move to a different home that does not charge a top up fee

What is continuing healthcare?

If your nursing needs are very high, the NHS may decide you are eligible for continuing health care. This means that the NHS will pay the full cost of your care which means you will not need to make any contribution. We will consider whether you may be eligible for this funding and, where appropriate, we will complete a check list with you.

Need further information?

Adult social care have fact sheets which provide more information on the assessment process and the financial assessment should you need ongoing care. If you have any questions or feel the care provided isn’t required or may need adjusting please contact your allocated worker from adult social care or call 01253 477800.

How did we do?

We aim to deliver an excellent service. However, if you are unhappy about the service you have received or the way you have been treated you can make a complaint. You can do this in writing or by speaking to a member of staff:

Customer relations team
Adult services
Blackpool Council
PO Box 4
Blackpool
FY1 1NA

Telephone: 01253 477700
Email: customerrelations@blackpool.gov.uk

To ensure services provided by the council are accessible, information is available upon request in a variety of formats. Please let us know if you need an alternative format.