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Intermediate care services for adults and older people
Intermediate care is the name given to a range of rehabilitation services, which are aimed at promoting and maintaining the ability of people to live independently in their own homes.
Who could benefit from/use this service?
The aim of Intermediate care services is to promote the independence of adults aged 18 and above, living in the borough of Bromley, who,
and are:
- physically frail;
- disabled; or
- recovering from recent illness or injury.
Intermediate Care can help people who, after illness or injury, or because of a longstanding medical condition, need help to manage at home. It can also help those who have begun to consider moving into long-term residential or nursing home care. Some people who are already in residential or nursing home care may decide that they could live independently in their own home, or in sheltered housing, but need help to make the move.
Details
Intermediate care involves:
- an assessment of the difficulties a person is experiencing in carrying out daily tasks such as washing and dressing, using the toilet, preparing meals, and general mobility problems such as walking, getting in and out of bed and climbing stairs; followed by:
- an individual programme of therapy and exercises designed by occupational therapists and physiotherapists to assist the person back to improved health and quality of life.
Rehabilitation aims to help people by:
- rebuilding their confidence in doing everyday activities;
- teaching new skills to help them manage at home;
- helping them to stay out of hospital, or permanent residential or nursing care, unless this is really the right choice for them.
Bromley Council in partnership with Bromley NHS Primary Care Trust and Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust offer several short-term services which involve active programmes of rehabilitation at home to help people regain their independence.
There are:
- three Community Assessment and Rehabilitation Teams, known as CARTs, who work with people in their own homes throughout the borough. The CARTs are multi-disciplinary teams consisting of medical and nursing staff, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and specially trained care staff. They help adults and older people to recover lost abilities, and so increase their ability to live independently, preventing admission to hospital or long-term care.
- Intermediate care can also be offered to older people only, in a special unit within Elmwood, a care home with nursing in Bickley, for people who need care from, or under the supervision of, a registered nurse. There are 22 Intermediate care beds in Elmwood. The unit is primarily intended for older people (aged 60 and over) who are medically fit for discharge from hospital but who need a period of rehabilitation to recover their confidence, mobility and ability to carry out daily tasks before they can go home. However, older people living in their own homes who are at risk of losing their independence can also be admitted to the unit to prevent further deterioration and so avoid the need for admission to hospital or long-term care.
As an interim arrangement there are also 40 intermediate care beds at Orpington Hospital for both adults and older people.
Costs
There is no charge for Intermediate Care.
Next steps
- If you are in hospital, ask to speak to the hospital- based care manager, who can advise you whether the plans for your discharge could include a period of Intermediate Care.
- If you are living in your own home in the community, contact Bromley Social Services to discuss an assessment of your need for Intermediate care, (see "Contact Details" section below); or
- You can ask your GP or District Nurse to refer you.
- The service user (the person receiving Intermediate care) must agree to have the service, and be committed to working with the rehabilitation team to achieve a greater degree of independence for themselves. For this reason, it is unlikely that people with significant cognitive impairment (moderate to severe dementia) would be able to sustain the commitment required to benefit from Intermediate Care.