Reablement
Short, intensive support after a hospital stay or fall. The aim is to get you doing as much for yourself as possible, as fast as possible.
Reablement is care with a clear end date in mind. Someone has come out of hospital, or had a fall, or lost mobility quickly, and the next six weeks decide whether they get back to where they were or settle into needing care permanently. The right support in that window matters enormously.
We send experienced carers who know how to push gently. They do not do everything. They sit with the client through the bits that are hard, and step back the second something can be done independently. The visit length usually tapers as the client gets stronger.
Reablement also catches the small problems before they become big ones. Loose rugs, the hard-to-reach kettle, the doorway that needs a grab rail. We flag what we see and work with occupational therapy if equipment is needed.
What’s included
- Up to four visits a day in the first week, tapering down as recovery progresses
- Help re-learning daily routines: washing, dressing, kitchen tasks, stairs
- Mobility practice in the home and into the garden
- Coordination with hospital discharge teams, district nurses, and physios
- Medication support and pain management prompts
- Falls risk review and home safety check
- Weekly progress reviews with the client and family
- Honest conversations when long-term care is genuinely needed at the end
How it works
We respond to discharge referrals within 24 hours wherever possible. The first visit is the assessment: we meet the person, walk through the home, and write a plan that is honest about what they can and cannot do today. Visits start the next day. Each week we sit down with the client, look at what has improved, and reduce the support accordingly. By week six most clients are either independent again or on a small, stable visiting package.
The people we tend to support with this.
People discharged from Royal Bournemouth, Poole, or Christchurch hospitals
Adults recovering from a fall, fracture, or surgery
Anyone who has lost confidence with mobility and wants to get it back
Talk to a human.
A real conversation, no obligation, no pressure.
Things families ask us most.
How is reablement different from regular home care? +
Regular care does things for you. Reablement does things with you, with the explicit aim of you needing us less by the end of it. The carer might stand back while you make a cup of tea so you re-learn the routine, then help only with the bit that is genuinely hard. Most clients reduce hours week by week.
How long does reablement usually last? +
Most clients are with us for two to six weeks. Some need only a fortnight to get steady again. A few stay longer because the recovery is slower than expected. We review weekly and adjust the visits down (or occasionally up) based on what the person can actually do.
Can you coordinate with the hospital and physio? +
Yes. We work with the discharge team, district nurses, and community physios as standard. If you want us to attend a key appointment with you we can. We share notes (with consent) so everyone is working from the same picture of how you are doing.