Intermediate Care - Welcome to Intermediate care

The Bevan Unit, Stott Lane, Salford M6 8FJ

Telephone number – 0161 206 3040/0161 206 3041

Intermediate Care Unit

The aim of this leaflet is to explain what to expect during your stay.

If you have any more questions after reading this, please ask a member of staff who will be happy to help you.

Intermediate care services provide support for a short period of time to help you recover and improve your independence.

Your family/friends may be involved in your care and therapy, if you wish and when this is appropriate.

The actual amount of time you need to stay in intermediate care will vary from person to person, and with your individual care needs.

Intermediate Care at a glance

How is it different to other health and social care support

• Health support from a range of health professionals
• Working with staff to agree your goals (e.g. washing and dressing, mobility practice)
• Helping you to practice your usual everyday activities on your own

Where does it happen? The environment

Intermediate care takes place outside of the acute hospital. The Bevan Unit is a purpose-built rehabilitation facility close to the hospital.

Care can be in individual rooms or small bays areas. Individual rooms are allocated according to priority needs and you may be moved to a bay to accommodate this.

There is a gym for therapy staff to aim to improve your ability, a lounge and outdoor garden for rehabilitation.

The therapists will practice everyday activities with you, such as washing and dressing to help you to become as independent as possible, ready to be discharged from Intermediate Care, although you may not be reviewed by them daily. Your rehabilitation is with all members of the multi-disciplinary team.

You may also accompany staff on home visits to your own home as part of your rehabilitation planning.

Four stages of Intermediate Care and what to expect

1.    Prior to admission

• A health professional with experience in rehabilitation will review your current abilities to ensure Intermediate Care can meet your needs. We will work with you to make progress towards greater independence, considering your agreed goals, needs and wishes
• If you wish, your family can be involved in decisions about moving to Intermediate Care, including whether it will be suitable for you
• Information about advocacy services can be provided if you feel you need this. (An advocate is someone to support you to speak on or who speaks on your behalf if needed)

2.    On admission

• When you arrive staff will discuss with you your aims and goals to work towards enabling you to reach your full potential
• The opportunity to ask questions
• Staff in Intermediate Care receive discharge information from the hospital about your health conditions and have access to electronic notes to prevent duplication
• If you or our family feel there are important issues that affect your wellbeing or care, then please make staff aware of these when you arrive
• We start the discharge process from admission, so that we can set achievable goals with you and your family (if you wish)

 3.    During your rehabilitation period

• A range of health professionals and care staff will work with you to help you achieve your goals in Intermediate Care. Some goals relate to functional independence and gradually increasing everyday activities as much as possible
• You will complete guided therapy sessions to work towards your goals. Your rehabilitation will also be supported by the nursing and care staff on a daily basis
• Discharge planning starts from the point of arrival. Staff will need information about your home and may need to make assessment visits, so please advise us of any access issues, especially if your family are keyholders
• Medical reviews with consultants and advanced care practitioners take place on a regular basis to ensure you are remaining well
• You will continue with appropriate treatment such as prescribed medication, medication reviews or monitoring of blood results with continued input from other specialities as required
• A medication review will also take place with our in-house pharmacist and all medication changes and discharge medications will be discussed by the pharmacy team before you are discharged from the unit
• Any information you need to help you achieve your goals will be written clearly and concisely in a format that you can understand

4.    Towards the end of your stay in Intermediate Care

• It is not expected that you will complete every aspect of rehabilitation whilst in Intermediate Care
• You may be transferred to another service if you need on- going support, or to continue your rehabilitation journey at home with specialist services. Any referrals will be made prior to your discharge, if required. Not all patients are able to return to their own home from Intermediate Care, and if this is no longer possible, then you and your family (if you wish them to be involved) will be supported in planning an alternative to suit your needs
• We have daily input from Intermediate Care social workers to help with assessing and planning any support required at home if necessary for discharge
• If your home requires essential equipment or adaptations to support your return home, this will be assessed and reviewed by the occupational therapy team in liaison with you and your family, if you so wish.

The Intermediate Care Team

Intermediate care services are usually provided by health and social care professionals with a range of different skills. This is referred to a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT).

Your Treatment Plan consists of

• Continued personal and nursing care by nursing staff and care support workers
• Therapy provided by physiotherapists, occupational therapists and therapy technicians
• Medical reviews with advanced care practitioners and consultants
• Review of your medications by the pharmacy team
• One of the therapy team may wish to undertake a home assessment. This is to look at your home environment to see if you need any equipment or adaptions for your discharge
• Rehabilitation in daily activities of living
• Individual and group exercise programmes
• Planning meetings with the multi-disciplinary team
• Group work that may include exercises
• Involvement of any other health professionals depending upon what you require

What can I expect?

We aim for everyone to be as independant as possible. The staff will work with you towards your self-care, such as using the toilet, bathroom, getting dressed and being as mobile as possible. Having therapy does not always involve seeing a therapist – mobilising to the dining room or toilet and increasing levels of self-care for example are also part of your rehabilitation, working towards you being as independent as possible.

We encourage everyone to wear their own clothes where possible – moving towards your independence. Please note we do not have any laundry services to undertake any personal laundry.

Everyone is encouraged to get up, dressed and socialise in the dining rooms/lounges whenever it is possible.

What to bring with you?

• Clothing (day and night wear)
• Toiletries (toothbrush, comb, shaving kit, soap etc)
• Comfortable shoes that you may wear at home
• Continence products (if required)

Feedback, compliments and complaints

We value your feedback for patients, families and carers in order to maintain a high standard of care. We may ask you to complete some formal feedback on your stay around the time of discharge.

Please speak to a member of staff if you or your family have any concerns. This is so that we can address them as soon as possible and ensure you feel we have listened to you and strived to make your stay a positive experience.

If you are not satisfied with your response or wish to make a formal complaint, then you can speak to the Trust Patient and Liaison (PALS) team. Leaflets detailing the PALS service are available or you can contact them by telephone on 0161 206 2003.