Discharging people from hospital

Scenario

During supervision, a hospital social worker discusses the pressure they are feeling to discharge people to care homes when those people may not have the capacity to make a decision about where they live. The social worker feels this potentially conflicts with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, particularly the principle of seeking the least restrictive option.

Action

The supervisor advises the social worker to use specific recommendations from guidance on transition between inpatient hospital settings and home and decision-making and mental capacity to strengthen their professional power when discussing discharge planning with health colleagues, including informing best interest meetings.

Further guidance

The guidance recommends that decisions about long-term care are not made whilst in crisis and that decisions are made in the person's best interests.

Relevant resources

Guidelines

• Older people's independence and wellbeing guideline

• Managing medicines in care homes guideline

• Managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community guideline

• Older people and multiple long-term conditions guideline

• People's experience in adult social care guideline

• Dementia guideline

• Care of dying adults guideline

• Home care guideline

• Decision-making and mental capacity guideline

Quality standards

• Older people's independence and wellbeing quality standard

• Medicines management in care homes quality standard

• Medicines management for people receiving social care in the community quality standard

• Older people and multiple long-term conditions quality standard

• People's experience in adult social care quality standard

• Dementia quality standard

• Care of dying adults quality standard

• Home care quality standard