<b>Personalised Hospital Discharge: A Toolkit for Supporting Caregivers</b>

<p dir="ltr"><b><u>About This Toolkit</u></b></p><p dir="ltr">This is a practical, easy-to-use toolkit to support better hospital discharge planning by recognising and involving caregivers.</p><p dir="ltr">It includes five tools that can be used by hospital staff, community teams, voluntary sector organisations, and caregivers to improve communication, personalise care, and help ensure safe, well-supported transitions from hospital to home.</p><p dir="ltr">The toolkit was co-produced with:</p><ul><li>Caregivers</li><li>NHS and social care professionals</li><li>Voluntary and community partners</li><li>University researchers</li></ul><p dir="ltr">It can be adapted to fit different local needs and is designed to support shared decision-making, personalised and person-centred care, and legal duties under Section 91 of the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/31/contents/enacted" target="_blank">Health and Care Act 2022</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">It is suitable for use by professionals and caregivers working together to improve discharge planning.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b><u>Who Is This Toolkit For?</u></b></p><p dir="ltr">This resource is intended for:</p><ul><li>Hospital ward teams and discharge coordinators</li><li>Integrated care boards and discharge leads</li><li>Community and voluntary sector partners</li><li>Caregivers, families, and those supporting them during or after discharge</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b><u>What’s Included?</u></b></p><p dir="ltr"><b>The toolkit</b> (pdf) is a visual and practical guide containing:</p><ul><li>Caregiver-informed discharge journey overview</li><li>Five co-designed tools with examples, prompts, and guidance:</li><li><ul><li>Tool 1: Welcome Letter</li><li>Tool 2: Admission Guide</li><li>Tool 3: Prompt Card</li><li>Tool 4: Discharge Checklist</li><li>Tool 5: Post-Discharge Contact Card</li></ul></li></ul><p dir="ltr">It includes:</p><ul><li>Glossary of key terms</li><li>Guidance for adaptation and local use</li><li>Selected quotes and real-world examples</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b>The templates</b> (Word Document) include:</p><p dir="ltr">Editable versions of all five tools in table format.</p><p dir="ltr">These can be printed, co-branded, or embedded into local processes.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b><u>How to Use It?</u></b></p><ul><li>Start with the toolkit pdf to understand the tools and their context</li><li>Use the Word document to adapt and apply the tools in practice</li><li>Choose the tools that best support your workflow and caregiver needs</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b><u>How to cite this toolkit?</u></b></p><p dir="ltr">McEwan, K., Sanders, T., Carr, S., Van Der Graaf, P., Jones, S., Aquino, MRJ., Hogg, MJ., Hameed, R., Lai, F., Cooper, C., and Potthoff, S. (2025). Personalised Hospital Discharge: A Toolkit for Supporting Caregivers. Northumbria University. <i>Figshare</i>. DOI: 10.25398/rd.northumbria.29589287</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b>Licence</b>: CC BY 4.0 – You are free to share, adapt, and build upon this work for any purpose, with appropriate attribution.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b>Contact</b>: <a href="mailto:kathryn.mcewan@northumbria.ac.uk" target="_blank">kathryn.mcewan@northumbria.ac.uk</a></p>