Stroke Recovery Care at Home in Worthing

A stroke can change everything within hours. One day your relative is living independently; the next, you are standing in a hospital corridor being told about discharge timelines you have never heard of before. If your family is based in or around Worthing, this page sets out what stroke recovery care at home looks like in practice — and how to find a CQC-registered agency that can support it.

Stroke recovery care at home covers a wide range of support: help with washing, dressing and moving safely around the home; prompting and assistance with medication; support during physiotherapy and speech and language therapy exercises carried out between clinical appointments; and, over time, encouragement with rebuilding daily routines as independence returns. The level of care needed changes as recovery progresses, so the agencies best suited to this work are those that can adjust quickly — increasing visits in the early weeks, then stepping back as the person regains confidence.

For families in Worthing, discharge from hospital typically happens sooner than many expect. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Worthing Hospital, uses structured discharge pathways designed to get people home with the right support in place rather than keeping them in an acute bed. That means the window between being told your relative is ready to leave and actually leaving can be short. Knowing what care options exist before that conversation happens puts you in a much stronger position. There are around 47 CQC-registered home care agencies in the Worthing area ^[4], so the choice exists — but comparing them quickly under pressure is hard. CareAH is a marketplace that lists these agencies in one place so you can search and compare without calling around individually.

Worthing Hospital is the main acute site serving Worthing and the surrounding West Sussex coast. It is operated by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. Following a stroke, patients assessed as medically stable may be discharged under one of several NHS pathways, each reflecting how much ongoing clinical support is required at home ^[8].

Pathway 0 applies where someone can return home with little or no additional support. Pathway 1 covers those who need some professional or care input at home but whose needs are relatively straightforward. Pathway 2 — the most relevant for many stroke survivors — involves discharge to a home setting with a package of coordinated care, which may include therapy and personal care support from a domiciliary agency. Pathway 3 covers those whose needs require a bedded setting such as a care home or rehabilitation unit.

For stroke specifically, Early Supported Discharge (ESD) is a clinically recognised model. Under ESD, a stroke survivor who meets certain criteria leaves hospital earlier than would otherwise happen, with a specialist community team continuing their rehabilitation at home. The evidence base for ESD is well established: it can produce equivalent or better outcomes compared with a longer inpatient stay for appropriate patients. If the ward team mentions ESD, ask whether your relative has been assessed for it and which community team would be involved.

Discharge to Assess (D2A) is a related approach in which a person moves home — or to a short-term placement — before their longer-term care needs are formally assessed. This means a care package may be put in place quickly as a bridge, with a more detailed review following once the person has settled ^[8]. Under the NHS framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare ^[2], those with a primary health need may be eligible for NHS-funded care rather than means-tested social care. The discharge team at Worthing Hospital should be able to explain which pathway applies to your relative and what funded support, if any, has been arranged.

Not every home care agency has meaningful experience supporting people after a stroke. The condition involves a combination of physical, cognitive and sometimes emotional changes that can shift week by week. Here is what to look for when assessing whether an agency is suitable.

• Experience with neurological conditions. Ask directly: how many of their current clients are recovering from stroke? Do they provide care alongside NHS therapy teams?
• Flexibility of visit scheduling. In the early weeks, needs can change quickly. Can the agency increase or reduce visit frequency at short notice?
• Consistency of carers. For someone with communication difficulties or cognitive changes after a stroke, seeing unfamiliar faces at every visit adds unnecessary stress. Ask how the agency allocates its staff.
• Communication with the wider care team. A good agency will liaise with district nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists rather than working in isolation. Ask how they handle handover notes and incident reporting.
• Medication support. Many stroke survivors have new or changed medication regimes. Clarify whether carers can prompt or administer medication, and what their policy is.
• CQC registration and inspection record. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 ^[6], it is a criminal offence for any provider to deliver regulated personal care in England without being registered with the Care Quality Commission ^[4]. An unregistered agency is operating illegally. Every agency listed on CareAH is CQC-registered. You can check any agency's registration status and read their most recent inspection report directly on the CQC website ^[4].
• Staff training in stroke-specific care. Ask what training carers receive in moving and handling, communication support, and recognising signs of a further stroke.

How stroke recovery care is paid for depends on individual circumstances, and several funding routes may apply.

Local authority funding. West Sussex County Council has a duty under the Care Act 2014 ^[5] to assess anyone who appears to have care and support needs. If your relative qualifies for council-funded care, means-testing will apply. The current capital thresholds are £23,250 (above which you meet the full cost) and £14,250 (below which capital is disregarded in the means test) ^[1]. For a Care Act 2014 needs assessment, search 'West Sussex County Council adult social care' for current contact details and opening hours.

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). Where a person's primary need is a health need rather than a social care need, they may qualify for NHS CHC — care funded entirely by the NHS, regardless of their assets ^[2][3]. This is assessed by the NHS, not the council. If you believe your relative may qualify, ask the hospital discharge team to arrange a checklist assessment. You can also seek free independent advice from Beacon ^[10].

Direct Payments. If your relative receives a council care package, they may be able to take the funding as a Direct Payment ^[9] and use it to arrange their own care — including choosing a specific agency.

Self-funding. If your relative is funding their own care, the agencies listed on CareAH will each provide their own pricing. Costs vary by visit length, time of day and level of support required.