Older residents' experiences of hospital care, discharge and getting home

Redbridge has a large and growing older population, with nearly 38,000 residents aged 65 and over, and higher-than-average emergency readmissions. That makes a joined-up "hospital to home" pathway really important. To reach people who aren't always heard through hospital-based engagement, we shared the survey with 11 GP practices and more than 20 community organisations, and attended local groups to support people to take part. Most respondents had recently been treated at King George Hospital, with others at Queen's and Whipps Cross.

The overall picture is of a pathway that is often inconsistent and fragmented. On personal care, 44% reported poor support with everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and using the toilet, and 60% described the ward environment as poor or very poor for noise. Communication was a recurring theme, with 52% saying they did not feel listened to by nursing staff. Discharge was a particular pressure point: for 60% of people, the first conversation about going home did not happen until three or more days after admission, and many faced long waits on the day itself, most commonly caused by delays to medication and paperwork. Around 18% were readmitted within three days.

It wasn't all negative. District nursing and reablement were rated highly, and help at home from carers was viewed positively by most people who received it. But care packages, equipment provision and some therapy services were far more mixed.

Our focus group with sensory-impaired residents highlighted additional barriers, from a lack of staff awareness of visual and hearing needs to practical issues like missed meals and difficulty navigating the hospital. Participants called for mandatory disability-awareness training and for accessibility needs to be clearly recorded and acted on.

These are systemwide pressures, not isolated failures. Our recommendations focus on clearer communication, more reliable personal care, quieter wards, stronger disability awareness, earlier and better-coordinated discharge planning, and a cross-sector forum to bring health, social care and community partners together around the older person's journey.

Have you, or someone you care for, been in hospital recently as an older resident of Redbridge? We'd like to hear how your care and discharge went. You can read the full report and share your experience on our website. 

This report accompanies our Enter and View report on the Care of the Elderly wards at Whipps Cross Hospital.