Treatment at home in times of mental health crisis
A home treatment service in times of crisis is reducing the need for hospital admissions for people with mental health conditions living in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area.
Around one in four people in Northern Ireland will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives.
The festive season can be particularly challenging for people with mental health issues, with extra financial, family and social pressures to cope with.
The Home Treatment Crisis Response Service is a team of doctors, nurses, social workers and support workers who help families to ensure that their loved one receives the support they need and can recover at home.
Last year, the service helped prevent hospital admissions for around 550 people experiencing acute psychotic or depressive illness.
Dr Neta Chada, Associate Medical Director for Mental Health Services in the Southern Trust explains, “Home Treatment Crisis Response has been developed to help people who are at a severe stage of mental illness and need intensive support quickly.
“We know that people recover better in their own surroundings, close to their loved ones and want to avoid the added distress of a hospital admission.
“Once we receive the referral, our team aims to visit the patient within three hours for assessment. If suitable for home treatment we agree a plan which could include up to three daily visits and a range of medical or therapeutic support depending on the patient’s specific needs.
“We also have a member of the team based in our inpatient unit, unique to Northern Ireland, her role ensures that those patients who do need a hospital admission, get the treatment they need as quickly as possible and have the right community support in place to allow them to be discharged as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The service operates seven days a week until 1am each morning and referrals can be made by GPs, Psychiatrists, Community Mental Health Teams or other doctors.
Most patients and carers rated the service as ‘excellent’ in a recent satisfaction survey. One client said, “Only for them I wouldn’t be writing this today and that’s a fact. I owe my life to them because they saved me for my husband and son.”
If you are currently being treated for a mental illness you should have a care plan and know who to contact in times of crisis. If you do not have a care plan you should discuss this with your key worker
If you feel unwell and distressed you should make an emergency appointment with your GP or contact the GP Out of Hours if the emergency is at night, weekend or a public holiday or go to your nearest Emergency Department. If you are caring for someone and are concerned for their safety, call 999.
If you or someone you know needs help, and you would like to speak to someone by telephone, you can also call Lifeline free, in confidence, 24/7 on 0808 808 8000.
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Posted by Newry Times News
on Dec 28 2015. Filed under Community.
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