Author: Mcleod E, Bywaters P, Tanner D, Hirsch M
Journal: British Journal of Social Work, 2008
Volume/pages: Vol 38, pp73-90

About the study
The study is an evaluation of the effectiveness and sustainability of five hospital aftercare social rehabilitation projects provided by Age Concern in rural and urban areas of England. It took a randomised sample of service users referred to the service shortly before discharge from hospital. Feedback from participants was through either telephone interview or postal questionnaire. The primary aim of the project is to facilitate recovery, especially during the transition period from hospital to home by providing outreach support to enable people to return to a full and active life.

Findings
The study found that key to social rehabilitation are: a safe transition from hospital to home; assistance with practical tasks such as housework and shopping; advocacy to help access things such as benefits entitlements or finding solutions to practical problems like shopping or banking; education or re-education in skills such as using the telephone or a mobility scooter; addressing the psychological barriers to entry into social networks; access to health services and providing a choice of the services provided by the project, friendship and sufficient time to enable service users to become more fully independent.

Key messages

• Access to social networks means access to: basic resources for health (money, food, exercise); social resources for psychological and physical wellbeing (supportive engagement in social networks; access to health care services.
• There are essential prerequisites to accessing social networks including being discharged from hospital when you are well enough to cope at home and coordinated health and social care services to ensure that transition is not damaging to health.
• Interpersonal interventions are as critical as practical ones.
• Services of this kind must be flexible enough to meet individuals' needs to access a wide variety of social networks.
• Objectives must be set that reflect the service users own priorities.