James
69, Male

Discharge from Hospital

The hospital stroke service should maintain close working relationships with the primary care teams to ensure seamless care between hospital and home. One of the most common complaints from patients and their carers is not knowing where support is available. Individual needs assessments should be performed to identify what the requirements after discharge are likely to be. The components of successful discharge will include:

• Detailed and rapid information exchange between hospital and primary care
• Prior assessment of the home environment, with all necessary aids and adaptations having been made prior to discharge
• Identification of the key individuals and clear routes of access to them, for support and treatment after discharge
• Education and training given to the patient and their carers about living with the consequences of their stroke
• A secondary prevention strategy
• Recognition of the burden stroke places on the carers both psychologically and physically with a plan in place to support them.