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Getting home

Getting home is a huge step on the road to recovery. While it is often an enormous relief to be back home, some may find the first few weeks a bit of an emotional rollercoaster in terms of readjusting to everyday life. In this section, we've provided some general information and advice on the common physical and psychological issues you might face, what you can do to help the recovery process along, and the types of help that might be available to you and your family after you get home. We've also included a few short pieces on other people's experience, which we hope you will find helpful. 

 

 

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Article: Flashbacks

What are flashbacks? Flashbacks are vivid and frightening memories that come into your awareness suddenly and catch you by surprise (unlike when you deliberately choose to think about). They are often visual (you see them), but can also come in different forms, like being able to smell, hear, taste, or feel (an emotion or a body sensation) an aspect of a memory. There may be an obvious trigger (something very similar has reminded you), or it can feel like it comes from out of nowhere...

Web Link: Getting a care needs assessment

If you think you, or someone you know, needs help to manage everyday tasks the first step is to get a needs assessment from your local council. This webpage gives you more information about how to do that.

Article: Getting help

If you have been struggling with anxiety, feeding sad, irritatable or having flashbacks for several weeks or it is causing significant distress or impairment, you should talk to your GP. They will be able to discuss talking with relevant healthcare professionals and refer you to a specialist doctor such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. It might be helpful for you to be offered talking therapy or medication. There is a special NHS service called Improving Access to Psychological...

External Video: Going home after being in ICU: a video by the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM)

Leaving hospital and going home is a huge step in your journey towards recovery. However when you are at home you will not have the same support you had in hospital and it can be a difficult time for you and your relatives.

Web Link: Guy's and St Thomas' Family Feedback Survey

Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust would love to hear your feedback about being a family member of somebody on ICU. Please follow the weblink to give us your opinion of their and your care.

Web Link: Guy's and St. Thomas' Patient Feedback Survey

Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust would love to hear your feedback about your experiences in ICU. Please follow the weblink to give us your opinion of your care.

Document: Hair loss after critical illness - Telogen Effluivium

Increased hair shedding in telogen effluvium occurs due to a disturbance of the normal hair cycle. Common triggers of telogen effluvium include: childbirth severe trauma or illness a stressful or major life event marked weight loss and extreme dieting a severe skin problem affecting the scalp a new medication or withdrawal of a hormone treatment No cause is found in around a third of people diagnosed with telogen effluvium.

Web Link: Headway - the brain injury association

Brain injury can challenge every aspect of your life – walking, talking, thinking and feeling – and the losses can be severe and permanent. It can mean losing both the life you once lived and the person you once were. We all think 'it will never happen to me', but every year around 350,000 people are admitted to hospital with an acquired brain injury. That's one every 90 seconds. A brain injury can happen to anyone, at any time. When it does, Headway is here to...

Web Link: Hearing Link - charity for those with hearing loss

Hearing Link - is the result of the merger of the British Association of the Hard of Hearing (BAHOH) and the LINK Centre for Deafened People. In 2017 Hearing Link merged with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Their aim is to ensure that people living with hearing loss can find information, specialist services, and social contact, in order to live well with hearing loss.

Web Link: Hearing problems: Adult audiology centre at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital

Follow this link for information about hearing loss and the audiology services at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital