There may be occasions in life where we need to spend time in hospital but prolonged stays in hospital can have a negative effect on your health and wellbeing. Spending long periods of time in hospital can carry increased risks, these can include:
- Physical decline and loss of mobility / muscle strength.
- Loss of a functional independence.
- Increased risk of hospital acquired infection.
- Disruption of hormone regulation.
- Cardiac deconditioning.
- Sleep disturbance which can impact both mental and psychological health and wellbeing.
- Increased risk of cognitive decline which can lead to symptoms of dementia.
- Increased risk of needing institutional care when discharged from hospital.
When people are in hospital they move around less and spend a lot of time in bed or sitting in a chair. An older person in hospital can spend 83% of their time in bed and 12% of time in a chair, and 10 days in hospital is the equivalent of 10 years of physical ageing.
A prolonged stay in hospital can be frustrating for you and your family.
If your admission to hospital is planned, then we will discuss your needs for discharge at your pre-assessment clinic visit.
If you are admitted to hospital in an emergency, then the discharge planning process should begin at the point of admission and our teams will make decisions with you and your family.
It is important for you to leave hospital only when it is safe to do so, not just for your own health and wellbeing, but also for other people who need our care in an emergency or for an operation.
In Newcastle we work in partnership with local services to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in the city. We have a commitment to provide care to all those that need it. We need your help to ensure that we can do this.
Top tips for your stay in hospital
- If it is safe to do so, try to keep as active as you can whilst you stay with us. This will help you get back to everyday activities more quickly when you return home.
- Remember your glasses if you need them, bring your own toiletries, hearing aids and dentures if you have them.
- Wear you own clothes and well-fitting footwear; this will help you feel more like ‘you’ and will help you feel better.
- Bring your prescription medications, this helps us to reduce waste and is better for the environment.
Leaving hospital
- Talk to the healthcare staff about continuing your recovery at home so you can plan for this together.
- To help speed up your discharge, improve safety and prevent waste, please inform the nurse sorting out your discharge if you have any regular medicines at home.
- If you need hospital transport to get home, then this will be arranged after your medications have arrived on the ward.
