Introduction
The Connect Somerset website is a great starting point for you or anyone helping you to find out about the available help you can arrange on your own.
For example, help with
- your personal care
- staying independent
- keeping safe
- staying physically and mentally well
- maintaining relationships that are important to you
It has lots of information about services, equipment and care providers in Somerset.
Talk with someone from Adult Social Care
If you want to talk to someone from Adult Social Care for advice and information about services that might help you or your carer, ask your ward staff. They will arrange for someone to come and see you.
The things they can talk with you about may include:
- support if you are adjusting to illness, disability or loss
- how to access support and services in the community
- help to arrange care or other practical support if you need it when you leave hospital
- information on care homes and paying for care
- how to have a financial and benefit assessment check
Care and support assessment
Other professionals, such as an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or district nurse, may need to speak with you too. This gives us a full picture of your needs and the best way to meet them. With your permission, the views of your family, carers and family doctor will also be taken into account.
The assessment of your needs is free, but there is a charge for some of the services we arrange depending on your circumstances. We will complete a financial assessment to see how much you would have to pay. We can also check that you are receiving all the benefits that you are entitled to.
Help when you go home
Once your needs are understood, the social care worker will agree a discharge or care and support plan with you. This will show what support you will receive when you return home and make sure that you can leave hospital safely as soon as you no longer need hospital care. Someone from the social care team will contact you soon after you have returned home to check that the care and support plan is still right for you. The support may be increased or reduced depending on how well you are managing.
You can get information and advice about hospital transport from the Patient Transport Advice Centre. Phone 01278 727444 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.30pm.
If you are not well enough to go home or cannot return home safely we can tell you about other options. These may include a move to Extra Care Housing or another type of accommodation such as a care home. If it is agreed you need to move into a care home you should consider the choice of home carefully. We can help you with this.
