Home First: Reducing hospital stays and improving patient wellbeing
For many people, receiving treatment at home or in the community rather than in a hospital setting leads to better outcomes, and returning home as soon as possible following medical treatment leads to a quicker recovery. This is also known as a Home First approach.
Spending too long in hospital can lead to deconditioning – the loss of independence and deterioration of overall health and wellbeing. Deconditioning can include a loss of strength and balance, but also mental side effects like confusion and depression.
Being at home and doing usual activities like getting dressed and making a cup of tea is proven to help patients retain independence and boost wellbeing. It also limits the risk of developing a healthcare-associated infection.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board supports the Home First approach through initiatives like Safe at Home, and the Reducing Time in Hospital campaign.
Safe at Home
Safe at Home provides rapid assessment, diagnostics and short-term treatment for people across Cardiff and the Vale. It enables clinicians to visit and treat patients in their own homes, which for many people, particularly those who are elderly or frail, can be safer than a long stay in hospital.
Since launching in January 2024, the service has supported more than 1,400 people and helped save around 13,000 hospital bed days, easing pressure on busy emergency and acute services, particularly during the winter months when demand is at its highest.
Safe at Home is a partnership between Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Referrals can be made by GPs, district nursing teams, community therapy and reablement teams.
You can find out more about Safe at Home here: Safe at Home supports patients to receive urgent care at home - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
Reducing Time in Hospital
Healthcare colleagues will start to plan a patient’s safe discharge from hospital on the first day of admission. This is because for most people, home is the best place to recover.
The Reducing Time in Hospital campaign is a way to promote this ethos to both patients and healthcare colleagues, so they feel empowered to ask questions and engage in discussion about discharge from hospital.
Every patient is different, and each patient’s needs will be assessed before a decision is made. Support for patients is available at home and in the community, and if required, can be facilitated by the hospital’s Integrated Discharge Service.
If you’ve got a loved one in hospital, you can help support their discharge by:
Asking healthcare professionals about their discharge plans
Offering help with transport home
Bringing them suitable clothing and footwear so they can Get Up, Get Dressed and Get Moving
Ensuring they can safely access their property when returning home
More information on Reducing Time in Hospital can be found here: Reducing Time in Hospital - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.