A MAJOR survey of older people in Warrington has highlighted the need for improvements in the levels of support and aftercare provided to those over 50 years of age when leaving hospital following treatment.
While, overall, the survey found that the majority of older people thought their discharge from hospital was well planned, many reported that they and their families were given very little notice of when they would be leaving hospital or on the day of their discharge they had to
wait around or return to the hospital later to pick up their medication.
The survey, conducted by Warrington’s Older People’s Engagement Group (OPEG), involved people aged 50 to 90-plus.
It also raised concerns about the lack of a proper assessment of older people’s ability to cope outside of the hospital and how much help they received in readjusting to their home environment.
OPEG chairman Eileen Fitzgerald said the organisation had been overwhelmed by the levels of interest in the survey and the numbers of older people who had responded.
She said: “The response from older people in Warrington to the survey has been fantastic and it shows how important this issue is to them.
“The results show hospitals are doing many things right but there is still much room for improvement when it comes to the experiences of older people. The staff in particular deserve a pat on the back for all their hard work but the hospitals need to listen when more than a quarter of their older patients say their discharge could have been handled better.
“There were some harrowing stories that came out as a result of the survey and when you are feeling unwell the last thing you need is to be sitting around a hospital discharge lounge for hours on end or worrying about transportation home and coping round the house.”
Eileen said that OPEG planned to raise the findings of the survey with the hospital authorities and would follow up with them early next year to see what actions had been taken on the weaknesses in the system to improve the discharge process.
The survey was conducted in Warrington over the summer and 80 questionnaires were completed and returned to OPEG.
