Do you need CQC registration?
No. Bridge to Home provides domestic and recovery support only. We do not provide personal care such as bathing, dressing, toileting, medication administration or wound care.
FAQs
Questions families ask before discharge.
Answers about discharge, reablement, costs and rights — plus what Bridge to Home can and cannot do. For local context see Leaving Hospital in Gateshead.
Common Questions
Simple answers before you call
If the situation is urgent or discharge is already happening, contacting Bridge to Home directly is the quickest next step.
How quickly can Bridge to Home start?
In many cases Bridge to Home can be in place within 24 hours of your first call, subject to availability and the discharge plan. The quickest next step is always a short phone conversation with Lisa.
What if discharge is tomorrow?
Call now. Same-week setup is one of our most common enquiries. Lisa will talk through what is realistic for your postcode, the hospital involved, and what needs to happen before the person arrives home.
How much does Bridge to Home cost?
Packages are from £299 for one week (Settling-In), £549 for two weeks (Convalescence), and £799 for three weeks (Full Bridge). The fee covers Lisa’s time and the agreed package activities; everyday expenses such as groceries are paid by the client with clear receipts.
What is the difference between NHS reablement and Bridge to Home?
Reablement is usually short-term, NHS or council-funded support focused on regaining independence. It may have waiting lists or eligibility limits and does not always cover every domestic need. Bridge to Home is a private, healthcare-led domestic recovery service you book directly for one to three weeks, including shopping, cleaning, laundry and daily welfare calls.
What expenses do I pay on top of the package fee?
The package fee covers Bridge to Home’s time. Groceries, domestic supplies and similar costs are reimbursed by the client, with receipts kept clear and simple.
Can you help with medication?
We can offer reminders and prompts only. We do not administer medication, handle medicines on behalf of the client or make clinical decisions.
Is Bridge to Home only for older people?
No. Many clients will be older adults after hospital discharge, but the service can support anyone who needs short-term practical help getting back to independent living.
What if needs become more complex?
If the person needs personal care or clinical intervention, Bridge to Home will help the family understand that a CQC-registered provider or NHS service is more appropriate.
Do you take long-term care packages?
No. Bridge to Home is designed for short-term support after discharge, usually one to three weeks, with clear packages and no long contracts.
What happens when an elderly person is discharged from hospital?
When an elderly person is discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, the ward team arranges a discharge plan covering medication, transport and immediate care needs. Patients may be referred to free reablement support for up to four weeks. Where reablement has a waiting list or does not cover practical domestic needs, private services like Bridge to Home can step in within 24 hours of a family's call.
Do you have to pay for carers when you come out of hospital?
Not always. The NHS provides free short-term reablement support for up to four to six weeks after hospital discharge. However, reablement has limited capacity and does not cover all domestic needs such as shopping, cleaning or laundry. Where those gaps exist, private services like Bridge to Home provide short-term domestic support from £299 for one week — paid for by the service user.
How long do you get free care after leaving hospital?
In England, free short-term reablement support is typically available for up to six weeks after hospital discharge. In Gateshead, the PRIME reablement service provides free support for up to four weeks, subject to eligibility and capacity. After this period, or where needs do not meet the threshold, support must be arranged and funded privately.
What is a care package when you leave hospital?
A care package after hospital discharge is a planned set of support services arranged by the discharge team to help you manage safely at home. It can include personal care, domestic help, therapy and district nursing. Packages may be NHS-funded, council-funded or privately arranged. Bridge to Home provides a private domestic recovery package for one, two or three weeks, covering shopping, cleaning, laundry and daily welfare calls.
Can a hospital discharge an elderly patient without consent?
A hospital can discharge a patient who is medically fit and has mental capacity to make their own decisions, even if the family disagrees. However, a patient who lacks mental capacity cannot be discharged without a proper assessment under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. If you believe discharge is happening without adequate support or without proper process, contact the hospital ward manager and the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at the QE Hospital Gateshead.
What is classed as an unsafe discharge from hospital?
An unsafe discharge occurs when a patient is sent home without adequate support in place for their assessed needs — for example, without medication, without a care plan, or without transport when they cannot manage alone. NHS discharge guidelines require all identified needs to be addressed before discharge. If you believe your relative has been unsafely discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, contact the PALS service immediately.
Do you get free care after hospital discharge?
Yes, in limited circumstances. The NHS provides free short-term reablement support after hospital discharge to help patients regain independence. In Gateshead this is typically available for up to four weeks. After the reablement period, or where needs fall outside the reablement criteria — such as domestic tasks like shopping and cleaning — private support must be arranged and paid for. Bridge to Home provides this from £299 for one week.
Can a hospital discharge my 90 year old mother with no help at home?
Legally, yes — if your mother has mental capacity and is medically fit. However, discharge teams in Gateshead are required to assess needs and arrange appropriate support before discharge where possible. If your mother cannot safely manage alone, raise this formally with the discharge coordinator before she leaves and request a social care assessment. Bridge to Home can also be in place within 24 hours if you need private support arranged quickly.
How many weeks of care will the NHS pay for?
The NHS typically funds up to six weeks of free intermediate care or reablement after hospital discharge. In Gateshead the period is typically up to four weeks depending on the service and eligibility. After this, ongoing funded care is assessed under the Care Act 2014 by the local authority. People who do not meet the financial threshold fund their own ongoing support. Bridge to Home offers short-term private packages for one, two or three weeks from £299.
What to give someone when they come home from hospital?
The most practical things to provide are: a warm house, a stocked fridge with easy-to-prepare food, medication laid out clearly, a charged mobile phone, and a regular check-in call. Safety items like a non-slip bath mat, a grabber tool and a nightlight also make a real difference. If family cannot be there, Bridge to Home's pre-discharge home preparation visit covers all of this before the patient arrives home from hospital.
Is there short-term private support after hospital discharge in Gateshead and Tyne and Wear?
Bridge to Home provides short-term domestic recovery support for people leaving hospital across Gateshead and Tyne and Wear. Our 1–3 week packages cover pre-discharge home preparation, shopping, cleaning, laundry, medication reminders and daily welfare calls. Healthcare-led, founded by Lisa with 20 years of NHS clinical experience. Fast setup — within 24 hours. Packages from £299. We focus on the domestic recovery gap that long-term care agencies typically do not offer on short contracts.
What is the difference between a care agency and a discharge support service?
A domiciliary care agency provides regulated personal care — bathing, dressing, medication administration — under CQC registration, typically on long-term contracts. A hospital discharge support service like Bridge to Home provides non-regulated domestic support — shopping, cleaning, laundry, welfare calls — for a fixed short-term period of one to three weeks after discharge. Bridge to Home is specifically designed for the recovery gap that care agencies do not always cover.
Speak To Us
Still unsure? Start with a call.
Whether discharge is days away or happening tomorrow, contact Bridge to Home for a free conversation. No obligation, just practical guidance on what would help.