Better at Home is an initiative that combines our Hello Southampton telephone service with Hospital Homecoming. Built on discussions between us and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the aim is to help service users remain at home when this is the best choice for them.
Our Manager, Annie says “At this moment in time we are beginning to witness a rise in people that need support, especially if they are coming out of hospital and may be needing that extra help or if they’re isolated and lonely in the coming months, when the weather and potential worries about Covid may be keeping them at home.
“It is proven that being able to convalesce after a hospital stay in the comfort of your own home with the support of a regular visiting friendly face or via regular check-ins, is more beneficial to your recovery, mental health and wellbeing, than being kept in hospital. Our Better at Home service will also provide telephone calls to check in on anyone who is feeling lonely and isolated too.”
What can Better at Home offer?
This initiative supports vulnerable people leaving hospital that would benefit from low level, good neighbourly support in the early stages of returning home. We now also support people who might be at risk of going into hospital, to help prevent this happening. Some of the things we may be able to help service-users with are:
- Having a friendly chat on the phone with them
- Shopping for service users
- Help with errands, including picking up prescriptions
- Essential transport, e.g. to follow medical appointments
- A daily phone call to check that all is well
- Simple tasks around the house
As with most services Covid-19 has affected how we deliver our Better at Home support. Face-to-face visits may be offered where appropriate.
Expectations
- Please be mindful of who you refer to us, we are a voluntary organisation and we do not offer professional/statutory services such as:
- Professional caring
- Advice i.e. legal / end of life / financial
- Medication assistance
- Ongoing cleaning services
- Counselling
We are offering good neighbourly support only.
- We can only help if we have a suitable volunteer available, our service is not a guarantee so please do not use us as a replacement to statutory assistance but consider us as an added extra… we put the icing on the cake!
- The Better at Home project is specifically to help people over a limited period. The duration of provision of help will vary, but would normally be expected to last four weeks. After review longer-term support would be handled as a new request. The normal waiting list applies.
For enquiries please call: 023 8250 0050 or email: enquiry@communicareinsouthampton.org.uk
To refer, complete and return a referral form (return instructions on the form):
PDF Referral Form
Referral Form .docx
Interested in volunteering for Better at Home?
We hope that this new provision will help ease pressures on other care services too, such as the NHS and to reassure family members and friends of those we help.
As Southampton residents see the positive impact we make, we’d be delighted to welcome more kind-hearted people who’d be interested in volunteering for a very rewarding and worthwhile cause to get in touch too.
To volunteer with us or find out more, please click here.