PRJ-1286: Take Home and Settle service and Handyperson service

Objectives of Take Home and Settle Service.

The objective of the service is to aid individuals who are either not appropriate for admission from

A&E or need assistance to leave hospital by providing short-term practical support.

Aims of Handyperson Service

• Promote people’s independence by enabling them to stay in their homes in security, safety

and comfort for longer by carrying out simple repairs and adaptations as preventative and

remedial measures.

• Enhance the effectiveness of health and social care provision through the delivery of often

very simple and very low-cost interventions which often have a clear link with falls

prevention.

• Helps to reduce hazards for vulnerable, disabled and older people, especially hazards that

are assessed to possess higher possibilities or likelihood of causing injuries or ill health.

Objectives of the Handyperson Service

• The service that will help vulnerable, disabled, and older people to live safely and

independently in their own homes by assisting with small repairs and minor adaptations to

the home.

Service description and care pathway Take Home and Settle Service.

The Service shall work closely with partners to deliver an integrated whole system approach to

achieving the outcomes for patients and the overall Health and Social Care system.

In order to deliver a responsive service to support the discharge of patients from Hospitals listed at

core Take Home and Settle Staff will be based within these hospitals and will participate in

daily discharge meetings. The service will facilitate discharge by linking with other delivery partners

where possible (e.g. Integrated Community Equipment Service, Telehealth) to help reduce delays.

After the referral is accepted, a needs assessment and risk assessment will be completed, and

then a support plan developed with the service user. Copies of both will be given to the service

user.

The assessment should take place within 2 hours of referral and the service user should be

discharged within the same day. It is acknowledged that some delays may sit with the hospital.

The Service shall offer the required amount of support (according to each boroughs criteria),

incorporating pre and post discharge activities including:

• Home safety checks
• Practical Support
• Signposting to other services
• Handyperson service

The support provided will be regularly reviewed with the service user to ensure it continues to meet

their needs.

Home safety checks

The Provider will undertake a home hazard risk assessment to determine the environment is safe

for the service user to return home.

Practical Support

• Check utilities are connected and turn on heating
• Obtain any immediate shopping
• Collect fresh clothes from patients’ homes prior to discharge
• Meet patient on the ward and travel home together, staying with the service user until the

domiciliary care agency arrive (if required)

• Collect prescriptions and assist with medication self-management
• Prepare a light snack/meal preparation
• Light housekeeping/domestic services e.g. tidying up, changing bedding, laundry etc...
• Support in attending appointments e.g. outpatients etc.
• Phone calls or visits for a regular check-in and companionship
• Form-filling/paperwork
• Any other appropriate tasks benefiting and enabling the person remain in their own home.

Handyperson Service

The service will include the following tasks:

• Set-up of micro-environment
• Removal or repositioning of furniture
• Making safe walkway within the home
• Checking property for trip hazards e.g. trailing wires, removal or tacking down of rugs,

carpets and repair to torn flooring and removal if necessary

• Accepting ‘heavy’ hospital equipment e.g. beds etc.
• Fitting/replacing handrails, grab rails and banisters,
• Minor electrical jobs (including replacing light bulbs or switching to low energy bulbs, plugs

and fuses, work to reduce the number of extension cables),

• Minor plumbing jobs, including drain unblocking,
• Checking of installed pendant alarms e.g. if wires are moved to facilitate fitting
• Small carpentry work e.g. repair to cupboards, fitting shelves, etc…
• Delivery of equipment donated e.g. fridge, bed, microwave etc.
• Delivery of frozen food where necessary
• Fitting locks, door chains and spy holes
• Fitting key safes
• Home energy checks, installation of draft excluders where equipment is available
• Fitting smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• Assisting with removal of rubbish from properties