Going into and coming out of hospital

If you already have support at home and you need to go into hospital, you may be wondering what happens to your support arrangements.

This page gives some information about what happens when you go into hospital, and what happens when you leave.

This page is for people already have support in place before going in to hospital.

If you did not have support before going into hospital, read this article instead: Support when you are coming out of hospital

What happens to your support depends on how the support is provided. Find out more below.

 

If your council chooses arranges and your support for you

If your council chooses and arrange your support for you, they are responsible for putting the support on hold when you go into hospital.

They are also responsible for restarting any support you need when you leave hospital.

If your needs have changed after a stay in hospital, you can ask your social worker for a review of your support.

Find out more here: Reviewing your support

 

If you choose your support and another organisation manages the money

You may choose the type of support you get and who provides it, but another organisation arranges it and manages the money for you.

In this case, if you have to go into hospital, you need to tell them and they will arrange for your usual support to be put on hold or adjusted.

They will also speak to your council to manage the money side of things.

 

If you are paid money directly and you use this to buy support from an agency or organisation

If you choose to be paid directly and manage your own support budget, this is called a Direct Payment.

If you need to go into hospital, many but not all councils will agree to carry on with your usual Direct Payment for a short time (up to around 4 or 6 weeks).

After this short time of around 4-6 weeks, the funding for your support might stop if you are still in hospital.

You will have a Direct Payment Agreement with your council. This agreement should say what happens with your Direct Payment if you go into hospital.

You can also ask your social worker for information about what will happen with your Direct Payment in this situation.

You should have a contract with the agency or organisation you purchase support from. Find out what the contract says about what happens with your support if you go into hospital.

 

If you are paid money directly and use this to employ Personal Assistants

If you need to go into hospital, often, councils will agree to carry on with your usual Direct Payment for a short time (up to around 4 or 6 weeks). This is to allow you to carry on employing your Personal Assistants (PAs) so they can support you again when you leave hospital.

After this time, the funding for your support might stop if you are still in hospital.

You will have a Direct Payment Agreement with your council. This agreement should say what happens with your Direct Payment if you go into hospital.

You can also ask your social worker for information about what will happen with your Direct Payment in this situation.

It is a good idea to have a Contingency Plan that sets out what happens with your PAs if you need to go into hospital.

It is also recommended to include information in your Personal Assistants’ employment contracts that says what will happen if you have to go in to hospital.

 

If you need more support than you did before, when you leave hospital

After being in hospital, you may need more support than you did before, if your health has got worse.

You can ask your social worker for a review of your support. Unfortunately, it can take some time to get a review of your support.

It may be helpful to speak to an Independent Support Organisation for help with requesting a review.

You can find your local Independent Support Organisation using the Find Help search tool.