LIFE service: supporting recovery and independence at home

The LIFE service is Croydon’s integrated health and social care service supporting adults to recover, regain independence and remain safely in their own homes.

LIFE (Living Independently for Everyone) is an integrated health and social care service that helps Croydon residents recover, regain their independence and remain safely at home.

The service supports people following:

  • a stay in hospital
  • an illness or injury
  • a period of reduced independence at home

LIFE brings together professionals from:

  • Community Intermediate Care Service (CICS)
  • Urgent Crisis Response Team (UCR)
  • A&E Liaison
  • Croydon’s Reablement Service

These services work together as one team to provide assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and reablement based on your individual needs.

LIFE follows a Home First approach. Wherever it is safe and appropriate, we will help you return home from hospital as soon as possible or support you at home to help prevent an avoidable hospital admission.

Being supported at home gives you an opportunity to recover in familiar surroundings while rebuilding the skills and confidence you need to live as independently as possible.

Who can use the LIFE service

You may be eligible for support if you:

  • are aged 18 or over
  • normally live in Croydon
  • are medically stable
  • can receive care and support safely at home or in another community setting
  • would benefit from short-term support to recover or become more independent

The service may be suitable if you:

  • are leaving hospital and need short-term support to return home safely
  • have experienced an illness, injury, fall or change in your health or ability to manage everyday activities
  • need short-term nursing, therapy, social care or reablement support
  • need help to regain skills and confidence
  • need an assessment at home to understand your longer-term care and support needs
  • could avoid going into hospital or needing additional care with timely support at home
  • have achievable goals that could help you maintain or improve your independence

How long you can get support

LIFE provides short-term support. It is not an ongoing home care service.

How long you receive support will depend on your needs, goals and progress.

We will regularly review your support. We may increase, reduce or end it as your needs change.

If you need ongoing care or support, we will work with you, your family or carers and other professionals to help identify suitable longer-term arrangements.

How the LIFE service can help

Health and social care staff work together to coordinate your support.

Depending on your needs, LIFE can:

  • support you to leave hospital safely and as soon as possible
  • help prevent an avoidable hospital admission
  • provide rehabilitation and reablement at home
  • help you regain strength, confidence and everyday living skills
  • help you regain as much independence as possible
  • assess your longer-term needs after you have had time to recover
  • support your independence and improve your outcomes

HomeFirst  

HomeFirst helps you return home safely after a stay in hospital.

Where it is safe and appropriate, we will assess your needs at home rather than keeping you in hospital while decisions are made about your longer-term support.

We can provide support 7 days a week while you recover and settle back into your normal routine.

You will have access to nurses and therapists who can help you:

  • recover following your hospital stay
  • rebuild your confidence
  • manage safely at home
  • understand what ongoing support you may need

Our aim is to help you recover, regain your independence and remain safely at home wherever possible.

Recovery

Our recovery service provides short-term health and social care support following an illness, injury or change in your circumstances.

Depending on your needs, you may receive:

  • nursing support
  • occupational therapy
  • physiotherapy
  • social care support
  • health and wellbeing support

We will work with you to support your recovery and help you become as independent as possible.

Active reablement

Reablement helps you regain the skills and confidence to manage everyday activities yourself.

Instead of doing everyday tasks for you, we will work with you to practise and develop the skills you need.

Your goals may include:

  • washing and dressing yourself
  • preparing meals and drinks
  • moving safely around your home
  • using stairs
  • getting in and out of bed or a chair
  • improving your strength and mobility
  • returning to activities at home or in the community
  • reducing the amount of formal care and support you need

We will regularly review your progress and change your support as you become more confident and independent.

The LIFE team around the resident

The LIFE service brings health and social care professionals together so you do not have to navigate different services on your own.

Depending on your needs, you may receive support from:

  • nurses
  • occupational therapists
  • physiotherapists
  • social workers
  • health and wellbeing assessors
  • reablement officers

The team works together to agree and coordinate your support.

Agreeing your goals

When you start receiving support, we will talk to you about what matters to you and what you would like to be able to do.

We will agree realistic goals with you and regularly review your progress.

For example, your goal might be to:

  • make your own breakfast
  • get dressed without help
  • use the stairs safely
  • move around your home safely
  • leave your home independently

Your goals will be personal to you.

Our aim is to give you the opportunity to recover and regain as much independence as possible, with health and social care services working together to support you at home.

Refer someone to the LIFE service

Health and social care professionals can refer someone to the LIFE service.

The referral should include:

  • the person's current circumstances
  • their health and support needs
  • what they would like to achieve
  • how short-term support from LIFE could help them

Contact the LIFE service

Professionals can contact the LIFE service to make a referral, ask a question or discuss whether someone may be suitable for support.

LIFE Service
London Borough of Croydon
Reablement, Early Intervention and LIFE Services

Croydon Adult Social Care
Telephone: 020 8726 6000

LIFE duty team
Telephone: 020 8274 6399

Email: ch-tr.life@nhs.net