Intermediate Care
What is this?
Intermediate Care is all about local health and social care services working closely together to support adults in a crisis situation, such as when they’re suddenly unable to safely undertake everyday tasks due to ill health.This service is normally for a short period of time until a person can live safely and independently in their own home and can help to reduce unnecessary admissions to hospital or long term residential care.
Intermediate Care could be in a person’s own home, or in another residential setting, and aims to help people to regain their independence by providing dedicated physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social care and access to community nursing.
Who is it for?
You must be 18 or over, live in the borough and the following must apply to you:
- Your GP agrees that your medical needs can be supported safely at home
- You’ve had a health setback, which has caused you to lose confidence in your ability to stay independent, and you need a short time to recover
- You would benefit from, and be able to participate in, a rehabilitation programme.
How can I get Intermediate Care?
With your agreement, your GP, district nurse or social care practitioner would normally refer you but you can call Intermediate Care services directly.
In order to work out how much help is needed to enable you to regain and maintain your independence, a team made up of health and social care staff will need to assess you. They’ll look at how mobile you are and how you manage with everyday activities, such as washing, dressing and cooking. They’ll also discuss your needs with you and the help and support available to meet them according to the seriousness of your situation.
If, during this period of Intermediate Care, it’s decided that you need help on a longer term basis, which we call Self Directed Support (SDS), that will also be discussed with you.
How much does it cost?
The service is free and is expected to last between one and two weeks but can be extended to a maximum of 6 weeks in exceptional circumstances.
How to get in touch
Normally, you should contact your GP, district nurse or social care practitioner. You can, however, call the Intermediate Care Team on 020 8714 4060, 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, or, in the event of an emergency only, 07795 413 815, up to 7pm weekdays and 7.15am – 7pm, Saturday and Sunday.
Please contact me about this service
If you’re still unsure you can contact the Adult Social Care Access Team