What is reablement care?
Reablement care, also known as intermediate care, is a type of short-term care given at home to aid recovery after a hospital stay, illness or accident. Reablement care is goal-specific – a targeted objective that once achieved allows the reablement care to finish.
Reablement care allows people in hospitals or other medical facilities to be discharged and recover in the comfort of familiar surroundings. Not only does this reduce pressure on the hospitals and the care system in general, but it is also beneficial for the individual. Studies show that the best outcomes are achieved when an individual recovers at home, as opposed to a hospital setting.
People who are admitted to hospital often lose their independence, mobility, and strength very quickly when confined to a bed, which makes it harder for them to return home and get back to normal living. Not to mention the negative physical impacts of confined bed rest, such as muscle and function loss.
Reablement care aims to help the individual recover, regain abilities, and adapt to life at home in order to remain well and live independently in the long-term. Reablement care is usually two to six weeks long and is funded by the NHS.
The reablement care for each individual will have a specific goal, or goals, that the individual wants to achieve. These goals will be agreed upon by the patient and the care professionals involved. It could be relearning how to move around in the home safely, being able to dress oneself, or easily prepare a meal.
Reablement care is:
- Short-term, usually two to six weeks
- Intensive support, often from a range of professionals
- Goal specific, agreed by the individual and professionals
- Focused on helping the individual practice and become capable of doing things for themselves
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What professionals are involved in reablement care?
Because reablement care is designed to assist a person in recovering their abilities, it usually involves several care professionals who support the individual’s rehabilitation in different ways.
The reablement care team can include:
- Reablement assessors (often involved at the beginning and end of the care)
- Nurses
- Occupational Therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Speech and language therapist
- Social workers
- Doctors
- Carers
At Trinity Homecare, we have been providing reablement care services for over 25 years across England. Our highly trained and experienced carers work alongside other care professionals to deliver reablement care in the home.
Trinity carers regularly visit the patient’s home to help them with tasks and practise the daily living skills they need to re-learn. The focus is very much on supporting the individual to do tasks on their own, rather than doing tasks for them.
If you would like to arrange reablement care or have any questions regarding the service, get in touch with us today on 0207 183 4884 or complete our online enquiry form.
Who can have reablement care?
Reablement care can be used with a variety of different people including those with physical disabilities, dementia, and learning disabilities.
Reablement care can be beneficial for:
- People who need high levels of domiciliary care
- People who need to re-learn essential personal and daily living skills following illness or injury
- People who are experiencing confusion following illness or infection who may feel unsafe being left alone
- People who are frail and who need intensive support before they can live independently
- NHS or private hospital in-patients who could safely go home if a hospital discharge care plan was in place
Who funds reablement care?
Reablement care is funded by the NHS and is not means-tested. Each local authority manages its own reablement referral and assessment process so eligibility can vary. Some councils provide reablement care free of charge for up to six weeks while others may charge a fee.
In some areas, only people about to be discharged from the hospital are referred to reablement services. In other areas, people can be referred by community health or adult social care teams, or their GP. There is also a variation between local authorities in that some only provide reablement services to people who meet the Care Act eligibility criteria. Patients who are most likely to recover are often prioritised.
Many reablement services are provided solely by local authorities. However, in some cases, they are provided in partnership with the local clinical commissioning group (health service). The arrangements for service provision, and therefore how they are accessed, vary from area to area.
To find out how reablement care services are funded in your area you can contact one of the following:
- Call or email your local authority social care services or your local adult social care services department to ask for information
- People in the hospital can ask the hospital social work team for information. Ward staff, such as the discharge or ward coordinator, should be able to help you contact the social work team
- Organisations such as Age UK may be able to offer advice and support in your local area
If you are allocated a personal healthcare budget, you can choose which care provider you want to provide your reablement care. Here at Trinity Homecare, we are experts in reablement care and can arrange all the details of your care for you. Removing the stress of having to deal with multiple care professionals and local authority departments, while still retaining your autonomy of choice.
What are the benefits of reablement care?
Research has shown that people who have received reablement care view it positively and see the benefit of improvement in their confidence, functional ability, mobility, independence, and well-being. Department of Health studies has found that the initial six-week period of reablement is successful, with up to 68% of people no longer needing any home care package immediately afterward and almost half (48%) not needing any help up to two years later.
It has also been found that even for people who were previously receiving traditional home care services, reablement care approaches resulted in improvements in independence. This in turn prolonged their ability to live at home and reduced the amount of traditional care required.
Trinity Homecare’s philosophy is very much in line with the reablement care approach; with the focus being on supporting a person to do as much as they can for themselves to promote independence and confidence, rather than a traditional model of home care which focuses on doing everything for a person.
Other benefits of reablement care include:
- Professional care in the comfort of your own home
- Promotes faster recovery from an illness compared to staying in hospital or receiving no reablement care
- Professional support to retain or regain skills and confidence so you can learn to manage again after a period of acute illness
- Maximises independent living and reduces or eliminates the need for an ongoing care package
- Support and encouragement rather than being left to cope alone
What happens after reablement care?
The patient will be regularly assessed for progress and to identify any further goals or ongoing needs for support. At the end of the reablement care package, if all goals have been achieved, reablement care will end.
Throughout the reablement care process, it will be determined whether an ongoing package of care may be required. If it is thought likely, a referral to adult social care services will be made, who will start an assessment. The adult social care services will work with the individual, their carers, family and the reablement support workers to determine what ongoing care and support may be required when reablement care ends.
If ongoing care is required the assessment will determine if the individual needs additional short-term, or ongoing long-term, care and support. Your local authority might provide funding through a personal health budget. If you are allocated a personal healthcare budget, you can choose which care provider you want to provide your reablement care.
How Trinity Homecare can help
For the patient and family involved this can be an anxious time as there may be concerns about how the person will cope after reablement care services have ended. At Trinity Homecare we are here to support all people needing home care, whether it be funded by local authorities or privately.
If you have any questions about reablement care get in touch with us today. We can help you navigate the reablement care services and funding so you or your loved one get the support needed.
We offer a free no-obligation enquiry service, including a free home assessment with our professional care team. Our compassionate team is available seven days a week, from 7.30am to 5.30pm to take your call and answer any questions you may have.
Get in touch today on 0207 183 4884, email us at info@trinityhomecare.co.uk, or complete our online enquiry form.
