None of us relish the thought of spending time in hospital and the experience can be disorientating. Older people in particular can find it difficult to settle back into home afterwards, especially if they have no-one nearby to support them. With social care services under pressure, many older people leave hospital only to be readmitted shortly afterwards. Having someone there to give a word of encouragement, make a cup of tea or check on medication can make all the difference.

The main aim of the Occupational Therapy service in our hospitals is to help plan a patient's safe discharge from hospital back to their home. If that is not possible, then they work to place patients in more appropriate accommodation - such as a residential or nursing home - or transfer them to a rehabilitation ward.

Today, we were lucky enough to meet one of the OT’s working in the Liverpool area. Rebecca met me, Mat and Matty to let us in and explain what the task entailed. Several items of furniture needed to be moved in order to make space for a hospital bed... Ms J is ready to come home from hospital, but the room for her bed was not! We wasted no time. Three Goodgym runners and a very grateful OT later and a sofa, armchair, footstool and side table were relocated, creating a safe and suitable space for her recuperation.

Rebecca was impressed and commented, “You are very efficient”. She hopes that we may be able to help other vulnerable, older people in a similar situation.

This task didn’t take much time, but it made a huge difference.