Care homes near Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Loanhead

Leaving hospital: what happens next

1. Planning starts early. The ward usually starts planning a discharge soon after admission. Ask who is coordinating it and when the patient is expected to be ready to leave.
2. Ask for a needs assessment. If the patient may need care afterwards, the hospital discharge team works with the council’s social care team to assess what support is needed. The assessment is free.
3. Short-term support may come first. Many people go home or to a care home with short-term “intermediate care” or reablement while they recover. Scotland’s intermediate care framework says it should be free; what happens after that depends on the council, so ask the discharge team.
4. Free personal care. In Scotland, adults assessed as needing personal care don’t pay for it, at home or in a care home, though care home residents still pay for accommodation. Scotland doesn’t have NHS Continuing Healthcare; people with the most complex health needs may be cared for in hospital instead (“hospital based complex clinical care”).
5. Choosing a care home. A hospital bed usually can’t be kept while you wait for a particular home, so a short or interim stay is common. Use the list above to shortlist homes, and see our guides to hospital discharge, choosing a care home and respite and short stays.

Services for older people at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

• Hospital palliative care teamPalliative care team at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, which advises on symptoms and supports patients and families. Source
• Medicine of the elderlyMedicine of the elderly is listed among the hospital's services. Source
• Stroke medicineStroke medicine is listed among the hospital's services. Source
• Discharge loungeDischarge lounge at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh; open on weekdays and at weekends. Source

Getting there and visiting

• Buses and trainsLothian Buses service X40 runs between the Royal Infirmary and St John's Hospital. Source
• ParkingParking charges have currently been suspended, and a temporary drop-off zone is set up for visitors. Source
• VisitingVisiting times are set by each ward, so check with the ward before visiting. Source

Care homes near other hospitals

• Care homes near Western General Hospital · minor injuries unit · 4.7 miles away
• Care homes near Victoria Hospital · A&E · 14.1 miles away
• Care homes near St John's Hospital · A&E · 15.1 miles away
• Care homes near Queen Margaret Hospital (Dunfermline) · minor injuries unit · 15.8 miles away

Questions about care homes near Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh