People recovering from hospital treatment are to be helped with everyday tasks including dog-walking by a new community service.
Health bosses in the region have set up a £621,000 per year service geared at improving the help people receive once they leave hospital.
The Norfolk and Waveney Community Support Service will help people with everyday tasks when they return home from receiving hospital treatment.
These include offering support with dog-walking, making telephone calls and doing shopping.
The hope is that providing additional support will mean people are able to leave hospital sooner and continue their recoveries at home - rather than blocking beds.
Alison Thomas, cabinet member for adult social care at Norfolk County Council said: "We know that people recover better from illness and injury when they are in their own homes and sometimes they need a bit of help to get back on their feet.
"This isn't just help with social care but with the smaller tasks we sometimes take for granted."
It has been funded by Norfolk County Council, NHS Norfolk and Waveney and Suffolk County Council and will be led by Voluntary Norfolk, the British Red Cross and Age UK Norwich.
Tricia D'Orsi, executive director of nursing at NHS Norfolk and Waveney said: "This service will give people greater choice and more control over their own recovery and independence as they transition towards life living with, or after an injury or illness.
"We believe the service will bring benefits to the wider health and care system so that people can leave hospital when they are ready, creating capacity for others requiring hospital care."
The service will be provided by a combination of paid staff and volunteers and is the amalgamation of six separate services already on offer.
Anybody interested in getting involved in the scheme can contact volunteering@voluntarynorfolk.org.uk
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