Education In Care Homes
The CHST also helps care homes to identify educational needs through a training needs analysis. Education sessions are then delivered by the team within the care homes to groups of carers. Sessions include:
- Catheter Care
- Diabetes Management
- End of Life care - advance care planning
- Medication Management / PRN medication protocols
- Nutrition/Hydration – MUST assessment / food fortification / Mealtime assessment tool
- Constipation and urinary tract infection
- Pressure Ulcer Prevention
- Hand washing audit and technique
- Seizure management – administration of buccal midazolam
- Moving a resident safely
Annual Medication Reviews for Permanent Residents
Proactive visit to each care home across 12-month period;
- Systematic Medication Review (SMR) for each resident. Annual bloods as clinically indicated
- Audit of medication administration systems & processes
- Education and support for care home staff on safe drug administration
- Deprescribing medications
- Focus on holistic review in consultation with resident and carers
New Resident / Post Hospital Admission Medicines Reconciliation
- Safe drug administration
- Medication concerns highlighted to CHST pharmacist or GP as clinically indicated
Dietitian annual care home review
- Review all residents on supplements, currently not under dietitian
- Review systems and processes in care home for nutritional assessment
- Food fortification / snacks & nourishing drinks
- Texture modification
- Communication between carers and kitchen
- MUST education / support
- Identification of nutritional champion
- Encourage direct referrals to dietitian using a set criteria avoiding need to refer to GP for malnutrition
Physiotherapist
Initial assessment – ongoing referral to adult therapy service as clinically required.
- Falls advice and prevention
- Fractured neck of femur follow up post discharge
- Neurological conditions therapy
- Management/prevention of limb contracture
- Postural and seating advice
- Mobility assessments
- Chest assessment/treatment
Nurse Practitioner/Senior Nurses
The nurses on admission to the care home & following hospital admission complete holistic assessments including review of any long-term conditions. Where appropriate, the nurses will begin future priority discussions with residents and their families – this may involve completion of Do Not Attempt Resuscitation forms. Advance care plans and that outlines a resident on-going wish and where they would prefer to be treated in event of deterioration.
Following review of a residents’ long-term condition, the nurse practitioner may prescribe rescue medications for potential infection or anticipatory medications for end of life.
Holistic assessment
- Review of long-term conditions
- Functional status
- Persons aspirations & Goals
- Future care planning
- Focus on maximizing quality of life in consultation with resident ,care home and significant others
We hope to help drive a change from reactive to PROACTIVE care, working with local healthcare providers to manage residents on-going health needs.
The Assistant Practitioner Role/Health Care Assistant
Liaise with the care home
Liaise with GP practices
Admin support for the Team
Clinical –
- Venepuncture
- ECG
- Bladderscan
- BP
- Physiotherapy assistance
Our team have specialist knowledge and skills in the care of older people and frailty. We do not visit specialist mental health homes or homes who specialise in the care of those living with learning disabilities.
We are a proactive team this means that we do not see residents that are acutely unwell.
We do not see temporary residents in the care home.
