As the service draws to an end this June, we’re celebrating the incredible impact this partnership work has had for local people leaving hospital. For the past two years, Revival’s hospital discharge service has been there to help people through those moments.
Working from the discharge hub at Royal Stoke University Hospital, the service has supported more than 1,200 customers across North Staffordshire and surrounding areas, helping people return home safely while maintaining independence, dignity and confidence.
Every person supported by the service has had their own story, circumstances and challenges. Some customers were experiencing isolation, poor health, mobility difficulties, financial hardship, self-neglect or housing issues. Others simply needed reassurance and practical support during a vulnerable time in their lives.
The team worked closely with hospital staff, adult social care, community organisations and voluntary sector partners to make sure people were not facing discharge alone.
Support often went far beyond what many people would expect.
The service helped provide food parcels for people returning to empty cupboards, arranged property clean-ups where homes were unsafe to return to, sourced furniture and white goods, organised medication support, and connected customers with ongoing community support to reduce isolation after discharge.
For one customer, a 78-year-old woman admitted to hospital following a fall, the challenges extended beyond her physical health. Living alone while her husband received dementia care elsewhere, she had become increasingly isolated and confused. Her only close family support was a niece living abroad.
The Revival team worked alongside professionals and family members to put practical and emotional support in place before discharge. This included arranging medication support, organising home services, helping reduce fall risks and ensuring she was able to maintain contact with her husband to support her emotional wellbeing.
The interventions helped her return home safely while also improving her confidence, wellbeing and ongoing support network.
Another customer, recovering from a fractured leg, faced uncertainty about how she would manage at home due to mobility issues, unsuitable sleeping arrangements and financial difficulties. After listening to the customer’s concerns, the team worked quickly with partners to source and arrange delivery of a recliner chair before discharge, removing the final barrier preventing her return home. The customer later described feeling reassured, listened to and supported during an incredibly stressful period.
The service has also played an important role in helping professionals make safer discharge decisions.
In one case, a property inspection carried out before discharge identified significant safety concerns within a customer’s home environment. By escalating these concerns and working collaboratively with partners, the team helped ensure the customer was discharged to a safer and more appropriate setting.
While the practical support provided by the service has been invaluable, the lasting impact has often been emotional.
At a time when people may feel frightened, overwhelmed or alone, the service has helped customers feel listened to, respected and supported.
Above all, Revival’s hospital discharge service has been about helping people recover with dignity and ensuring no one has to navigate the journey home from hospital without support.
Katie, Revival’s operations manager, said: “What has stood out most over the past two years is the compassion, determination and creativity shown by the team every single day.
“Whether that meant sourcing urgent items at short notice, advocating for customers, or simply taking the time to listen and reassure someone during a difficult moment, staff have consistently gone above and beyond to make a genuine difference to people’s lives.
“We’re incredibly proud of the positive impact the service has had for customers, partners and communities across North Staffordshire and surrounding areas.”
Find out more about what Revival does and how the trusted team can help you here: www.thisisrevival.org.uk
