If you are homeless and taken into hospital, the healthcare professional will talk to you to find out what your situation is.
They will ask you questions about your living situation which may include things like:
- are you street homeless or sleeping rough
- do you have any accommodation you can go to when you leave hospital
- are you still able to access your accommodation
- are you living in insecure temporary accommodation
There is now a legal requirement for the hospital staff to refer any homeless person that they are working with to the local authority to receive help in finding you a suitable home. You will just need to give your consent to them sharing your personal information with us.
Once we have received the referral we will look to respond within 5 working days. If you are being discharged that day and have nowhere to go, we will contact you that day to complete an online assessment to determine how we can best support you.
This may include making referrals to other partner agencies to assist you when you come out of hospital.
Health Circumstances
If your accommodation is no longer suitable due to your current health, we can offer advice and assistance to deliver disabled adaptations and home improvements to support you in staying in your home.
Our Solihull Independent Living Service (SILS) will assess your needs and provide tailored advice on home aids and adaptations which could include:
- minor adaptations or equipment such as bath boards, stair rails and small ramps
- major adaptations such as stair lifts, level access showers and room conversions
We may also be able to arrange financial support for adaptations through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).
Please make sure you do talk to a healthcare professional as soon as possible to let them know of your situation. We can then have a suitable plan for your discharge from hospital into suitable accommodation.