The shifting cost of care: early discharge for rehabilitation.

Abstract

This article tells the stories of two family carers, each of whom is caring for someone who has been discharged early from hospital to have their rehabilitation at home. These stories illustrate the personal impact of early discharge for rehabilitation. The article argues that through its policy of early discharge from hospital, the state has shifted care from hospital to home, resulting in the work of caring and its associated costs being rendered invisible. This is possible because the prevailing ideology on both sides of politics is that individuals -- rather than the state -- should be responsible for their own and their family's well-being.