MORE than 50 patients have so far been helped back on their feet at a new intermediate care unit in Sale, allowing them to be discharged from hospital sooner or avoid being admitted altogether.

Ascot House prevents people from going into hospital by providing therapy for those who need help to retain or improve their mobility to remain well enough to stay at home.

It opened as a therapy-led intermediate care unit in October 2016 and also provides short-term rehabilitation support for people who are medically well enough to be discharged from hospital but not quite ready to return to their own homes.

The Ascot Avenue unit is run jointly by Trafford Council and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust as part of the organisations’ integrated care services.

The Ascot House team provides physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social care support as required.

It also has links with a GP practice and community services such as nursing, podiatry, dietetics and speech and language therapy, so that extra care can be provided depending on a person’s individual needs.

Joanne Sloan, clinical lead occupational therapist at Ascot House, said: “All too often someone can be admitted to hospital, after a fall perhaps, not because they are medically unwell but because it’s not safe for them to remain at home without care or support at that time.

"Ascot House is a dedicated therapy and rehabilitation intermediate care unit that can bridge that gap between hospital ward and home, helping individuals to regain their mobility, and often their independence, in a community setting closer to home.

“We work very closely with colleagues in the local hospitals and GPs to identify people who would benefit from support - either to prevent them being admitted or help them get home from hospital sooner. In the vast majority of cases, this has better outcomes for the individual and their family or carers, and benefits the wider healthcare system by freeing up beds for other people.”

Manager Sue Burrell, said: “Having health and social care services work so closely together at Ascot House is the key to the unit’s success. It ensures people get all the right support for their individual needs at the right time, enabling them to return home sooner, safe and well.”

One of the people who has already received support at Ascot House is Joseph Gordon, 79 from Davyhulme.

Joseph, who previously worked building submarines and torpedoes, was admitted to Ascot House from Salford Royal Hospital following a fall.

He was experiencing problems with his knees and back and found it difficult to move around his house for fear of falling.

Joseph spent fourteen days at Ascot House where physiotherapy and occupational therapy staff helped him strengthen his knees with exercises and provided him with equipment to help him manage at home.

He said: “The staff were excellent. They helped me with my balance but they also helped me to get my confidence back which was important.

“One of the most difficult things for me was getting out of bed in the morning without being afraid of falling so they found ways to help me with that as well.

“By the time I went home I could walk independently with a stick.”

Joseph was discharged on December 29 and was able to spend New Year with his son. He is continuing to practice his exercises to build his strength at home