Regaining your independence after hospital

A guide to the Harrow Reablement Service

Reablement helps people who experience difficulties with daily living activities, to regain independence through learning and re-learning skills.

Reablement aims to improve people's skills and confidence. For example in performing necessary daily life skills such as personal care activities, preparing meals or even help with their mobility. This empowers them to remain living in their own home. Reablement is a short and intensive period of support, usually offered in a person’s own home.

  • It is offered free of charge
  • It is not means tested
  • It is only offered to people who the Council believes will benefit. This is because not everyone will be able to learn/relearn skills

Key features of the reablement service for Harrow citizens

  • Focuses on strengths to promote and maximise independence and wellbeing.
  • Rebuilds confidence after a bout of illness, deterioration in health, an injury, a hospital admission, or an acquired disability
  • Different to traditional home care as it calls on care providers to stand back and encourage self-care skills, that may have been lost.
  • Supports regaining or retention of skills, to manage with minimal or no support.
  • Short-term and intensive.
  • A focus on restoring independent functioning, rather than resolving healthcare issues.
  • Aims to prevent re-admission to hospital such as a premature move to a care home, or delay, reduce or minimise the need for ongoing Homecare.
  • Aim of setting and working toward meaningful goals. Aims to reconnect Harrow residents with their communities to reduce social isolation.
  • Can help to reduce the amount of care needed from carers and family.
  • Ensures support to live independently and remain in your own home as long as possible.

Who is it for?

Reablement is not appropriate for everyone. It will only be recommended where people can regain full or significant independence in the short term. Reablement can only be provided after an initial assessment by an Adult Social Care Worker. Reablement is available to Harrow residents aged 18 and over who meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Are returning home after spending time in hospital due to a bout of illness, surgery, or a fall,
  • Are feeling frail and in need of support to remain at home or may be deteriorating in health and functional abilities, requiring more support.
  • Have been discharged from hospital to a temporary residential placement (sometimes called a “step-down” bed) and need help to get back home again.

If you meet either of the following criteria you may be eligible for Reablement:

  • already receiving social care services and have been discharged from hospital
  • or have changing health and functional abilities which may require an increased level of support at home,

If you are suitable for Reablement your existing home care support will be temporarily suspended. This will include any financial contribution’s you make towards that care for the duration of the Reablement period. The Reablement support will be free of charge. People leaving hospital with severe or profound ongoing health or care needs are not suitable for Reablement because it will not help to significantly improve their situation.

The information in these pages is also available as a downloadable brochure: A Guide to Harrow Reablement Service 

Reablement

For further information please contact the Harrow Reablement team via the number below:

Telephone: 020 8901 2680