A visionary new care service is ensuring hundreds of elderly and vulnerable residents receive care and support in their own homes rather than hospital settings.
Since it began in 2019, the Enhanced Night Service has prevented around 50 avoidable hospital admissions each month.
The service is run in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council, the Integrated Neighbourhood District Nursing Service, which is led by Bury and Rochdale Care Organisation, and Cherish UK Ltd. It provides a free short-term care and support service for people between 10pm-7am, 7 days a week.
Throughout the night, a dedicated team of staff provide personal care and nursing support for care home residents and people living independently at home.
The initiative complements existing high quality council and NHS services that are already in place across the borough in the day time.
Hundreds of local residents have already benefited from the night service, which is helping to ease the strain on the NHS through reduced admissions, helping people to stay in their own home whenever it is safe to do so.
The evidence shows that people tend to recover quicker in their home environment, without the mental, emotional and physical strain of being admitted into an unfamiliar setting when they feel at their most vulnerable.
Other benefits include supporting early discharges from hospital, ensuring vital hospital beds are freed up through unnecessary re-admission.
Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed, cabinet member for adult care, said: “This excellent initiative underlines the excellent care and support services that we provide our residents. It is not only delivering a vital lifeline for elderly and vulnerable people in the night, but also ensuring our stretched NHS beds are freed up for those most in need.
“We are proud that Rochdale is one of the best performing areas in the north for achieving early discharges from hospital and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. It’s another great example of successful integrated work across the local health partnership, by a first class team of staff.”
