Hospital re-admissions aren’t just numbers on a chart. For families, they mean more stress and slower recovery; for the NHS, they mean fewer beds and stretched resources.

The challenge is growing. In 2023/24, emergency admissions for respiratory conditions increased:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) up 9%
• Asthma up 17%
• Pneumonia up 16% (NHS England)

With demand rising, the question is clear: how do we keep people safe at home after hospital discharge?

 

The Goal: Getting People Safely Home 

National policy is clear, recovery at home is the goal.

• Home First – Most people should return home after hospital, with health and social care teams working together to make it safe.
• Smooth Transitions – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence advises to plan ahead, check medicines carefully, involve families, and communicate clearly to avoid unnecessary readmissions.
• Intermediate Care & Reablement – Short-term support at home helps people regain independence and reduces long-term admissions.

 

Smarter Care That Works 

• Virtual Wards / Hospital at Home – Hospital-level care delivered at home by a multidisciplinary team, sometimes with remote monitoring. Early evidence shows they reduce admissions and re-admissions when well integrated with community services.
• Intermediate Care & Reablement – Nurses, therapists, and carers work together to help people rebuild mobility and confidence at home. This lowers risks of falls, crisis, and re-admission.
• Safer Discharge & Medicines – Clear discharge plans, accurate medication checks, and early family involvement are simple but powerful safeguards.

 

What Good Homecare Looks Like

Homecare is often the glue between hospital and recovery. Daily visits mean carers can spot small problems before they become emergencies.

Effective homecare includes:

• First 72 hours – Extra checks on food, fluids, pain, mobility, and medicines.
• Reablement focus – Supporting clients to do things with help, not for them, to rebuild independence.
• Joined-up working – Clear links to GPs, community nurses, pharmacies, and virtual wards.
• Condition-specific care – Tailored routines for frailty, COPD, heart failure, and other high-risk groups.

 

A Simple Toolkit for Safer Recovery

Smart post-discharge homecare should include:

• Clear hospital handovers with discharge notes and medicines lists.
• Extra visits in the first week for higher-risk clients.
• Agreed goals to restore independence.
• Medicine checks to prevent errors.
• Red-flag escalation plans for quick action if things change.
• Outcome sharing with NHS partners to improve pathways.

 

What This Means for Families Choosing Avanti Homecare

If you or a loved one has recently been through a hospital admission, you know how worrying it can feel once you’re back home. Will recovery go smoothly? What if something goes wrong? This is where Avanti Homecare steps in.

Trusted after discharge – Our carers are often the first to notice the small changes like a missed meal, new pain, or changes in mobility, which are all things that can signal bigger problems. Acting early means avoiding unnecessary trips back to hospital.

A multidisciplinary approach – We don’t work in isolation. Every day we collaborate with GPs, hospital discharge teams, osteopaths, social workers, and therapists to make sure care is joined up, safe, and tailored to each individual.

Supporting the NHS and families – By helping people recover safely at home, we ease the strain on hospitals while giving families peace of mind that their loved one is safe and supported.

Consistency you can count on – With familiar carers who know your routines, plus our 72-hour stability checks and reablement-first focus, we make recovery personal and proactive.

Next Steps

People recover best at home and with the right support, that’s not just possible, it’s sustainable. At Avanti Homecare, we combine compassion with expertise to help clients regain confidence, protect their independence, and avoid the cycle of re-admission.

If you’d like to learn more about how we look after our clients every day, visit our Services Page to see the full range of support we offer.

Because at Avanti, keeping people safe, supported, and comfortable at home isn’t just our service, it’s our promise.

A huge thank you from all the team at