Elderly patients benefit from discharge facilitator’s dedication

A discharge facilitator went beyond expectations recently to ensure wards could care for as many patients as possible. Caroline Belpomer worked with colleagues over a weekend to help transfer a total of seven patients from around the hospital to elderly care. She did this by ‘flipping’ wards 80a and 80b, meaning that the male and female sides of the wards were swapped in order to make full use of free beds as appropriate to gender. Caroline helped to move patients and their belongings from one side of the ward to the other and even visited wards personally to gather handover information, ensuring a quick and efficient transfer. Within two hours patients had been settled in the right areas and all beds in elderly care were fully utilised.

Beryl Woodall, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, said: “Caroline's commitment to patient care and safety in line with admission and discharge is commendable. She works so hard to ensure older adults are transferred appropriately, following through their discharge planning to promote health and wellbeing. She is always at hand ready to help and has a positive energy with a can-do attitude.”

Caroline has been given the Employee of the Month award in recognition of her hard work and determination.

Caroline said: “I am really pleased to get this award, it’s so nice to be recognised. There’s nothing like knowing your work is appreciated. It really was a whole team effort, we all worked very hard.”

Caroline has worked as a discharge facilitator at the trust for 12 years and has previously been named as ‘Discharge Facilitator of the Year’.