What is Intermediate Care?
Intermediate care is:
a range of health and social care services
that
provide people with opportunity for recovery
and
deliver active therapy or treatment |
At one end of the scale, intermediate care services may respond to urgent or acute situations which require immediate assessment by skilled professionals and access to specialised services provided by Health and Social Care Professionals.
At the other end of the scale voluntary sector groups may provide advice and support to prevent social isolation or poor housing conditions, both of which can have a detrimental effect on a person’s health.
In Denbighshire new services are being created and existing services are being changed to come under the umbrella of intermediate care. These services will assist in moving service provision into the community, closer to home, and away from bed based care, where possible.
What does intermediate care aim to do?
Intermediate care services aim to:
- Prevent hospital admission or admission to a care home where it is avoidable
- Facilitate discharge from hospital or a care home where it is safe to do so
- Promote and improve an individual’s independence where there is potential and willingness
Who is involved?
Intermediate care is delivered by more than one professional group or agency in a coordinated way and in partnership with the patient or service user.
What happens?
After a thorough assessment, goals are agreed by everyone involved and they will work to the same plan for a short period of time (normally no longer than 6 weeks). The plan will constantly be reviewed to ensure the goals are reached.
|
