The challenges of improving discharge planning in Sweden and the UK: different but the same

Discharge of older people from hospital has been an area of concern for over 20 years. The present emphasis on rapid throughput of patients in acute care settings is likely to exacerbate existing problems. Improving current practice will mean addressing a number of complex issues to do with communication between agencies and professions. Despite different welfare systems, many of the challenges of discharge planning are shared in different countries. This paper describes attempts to involve patients and carers in discharge planning in Sweden and the UK and identifies a number of areas which require attention if the ideals of patient and carer empowerment are to be achieved.