Will you be going in to hospital soon?  Are you worried how you will cope when you return home?    Do you have a friend or relative who will be coming out of hospital? Are they worried how they will manage in the first few weeks?  This is where Home from Hospital can help you.

Our volunteers from the 'Welcome Home Service' give free practical commonsense support for up to six weeks after discharge from hospital or  after treatment from any  other health establishment. Alternatively they may arrange other support.

The service is available for patients receiving treatment at the following hospitals in Birmingham: Selly Oak, Queen Elizabeth, Moseley Hall, Royal Orthopaedic, the Women's, West Heath, Good Hope,Heartlands and the City Council care centres - Kenrick House, Perry Trees, Anne Marie Howes and the Norman Power Centre

Our volunteers will:-

• Fetch shopping and/or prescriptions

• Provide a food parcel on the day of discharge for patients who have no one to shop for them

• Visit for a friendly chat

• Go to the bank or post office

• Possibly escort you to hospital, doctor, the optician or hairdresser

• Give benefits advice

• Help you sort out bills and other paperwork that may have gathered whilst you have been in hospital

• Liaise with a wide range of statutory, voluntary and commercial services on your behalf

• Provide respite care for a couple of hours

• Arrange for furniture to be moved within the house

• Make arrangements for pets to be re-homed or temporarily cared for

(We do not offer personal care, cleaning or laundry services, we can however advise on approved services) 

Here's some quotes from some of our clients:

"I always felt much better after volunteer M's visits as I have no relatives living near. She is so easy to talk to and made you feel very comfortable"

"I find volunteer E very friendly. She gave me a lot of help getting out and about"

"I have been very fortunate to have had the help of volunteers P  and D. Both ladies were lifelines in my times of crisis and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your service.”

“I was pleased to meet volunteer R and felt straight away that she was truly ready to help me when needed.”

“J is a good person and understanding  - makes you feel at ease with him and gives you good helpful tips to make your cooking better.”

“The volunteer D was kind and obliging and helped me very much indeed. I am so grateful the QE put me in touch with your service.”

Have a look at People Stories for more information about people we have helped.

Do you need some advice about how to prepare for and cope after coming home from hospital? Have a look at our Home From Hospital Patient Guide for more information and print out your own copy.

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE 'WELCOME HOME' SERVICE?

Call us on 0121 472 4499 between  10.00 a.m and 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, to make arrangements for a volunteer to visit you.  Alternatively your ward sister or hospital social worker may make arrangements for you to receive other support when you return home, and they may also refer you to us. You can also contact us on behalf of someone else.

For full contact information go to the 'Contact Us' page.

CAN YOU HELP US BY JOINING OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM?

We depend on a large team of energetic volunteers to provide these 'Home From Hospital Care' services. If you think you might like to join us as a volunteer, go to the Information for Volunteers page to get more details. If you would like to help us in any other way, go to the 'Contact us' page for more information.

CAN YOU HELP US BY BECOMING A TRUSTEE?

Trustees are responsible for the general running and management of the charity.  Our trustees come from a wide variety of backgrounds. The role of a trustee can be rewarding and enjoyable and is an opportunity to service the community. Trustee meetings are held quarterly.  For  more information contact  manager Des Workman on 0121 472 4499

Home From Hospital - Care after Treatment