The Richmond Early Supported Discharge Program Turns One

Launched in February 2012, the Early Supported Discharge (ESD) program is for Richmond residents living with Heart Failure, Stroke or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) who need help transitioning from the hospital back into their community.

Some facts about the program:

-Our goals are to reduce our clients’ length of stay in hospital and decrease future hospital readmissions through intervention, education and bridging with other programs and services in the community.

-The team consists of a nurse coordinator, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, registered dietitian, respiratory therapist, speech language pathologist and a program assistant.

-We have moved: we are now located at Richmond Place (8100 Granville Avenue).

-To date we have admitted 159 clients to the program, of the 159:
-61 had a diagnosis of COPD
-52 had a diagnosis of heart failure
-46 had a diagnosis of stroke

-Hospital readmissions of ESD clients have significantly decreased after participating in the program.

The client experience:

“Knowing I had professionals checking in with me and giving advice on my rehabilitation, I didn’t feel left alone to figure everything out.”
ESD client feedback

Please stop by our 1 year anniversary celebration booth in the main foyer of the Westminster tower on Tuesday, March 26 from 9:30 a.m-2:00 p.m. to learn more about the program, meet members of the team and for a chance to win prizes.

If you have any questions about the program or how to refer a client, please contact the team at 604-233-5610.