Social Worker, Glasgow City Council
I am a social worker within a local authority social work team supporting older people and people with disabilities in the South Glasgow. For several years, much of my work has focussed on facilitating patients safe discharge from hospital.
From this experience, I have been struck by the positive and at times unanticipated recovery, some people with good supports can make upon leaving the hospital setting.
In tandem with this, there is existing evidence highlighting barriers to patients who are clinically fit for discharge, achieving best outcomes and recovery within an acute hospital setting.
This question of environment, and the potential impact it may have upon an individual at such a pivotal time in their life, has raised an interest I am keen to explore.
Within South Glasgow, an intermediate care model has been piloted since 2012, where patients age 65 or over who are clinically fit for discharge, but unable to return immediately home, are accommodated outwith hospital to work toward discharge.
Whilst there is quantitative data being collected around this area, there is no information on the views of service users or carers.
As a result, I am interested in exploring the service users and carers experience of the intermediate care environment, and their views of this, having moved on from the hospital setting. This will be a small scale qualitative study which I hope might provide some evidence which could contribute toward the development of good practice in supporting people toward better outcomes at this time in their life.
E-mail: jill.crangle@glasgow.gov.uk