Services for Older People include Inpatient, Long Stay Residential and Outpatient services. Different services are available at hospitals throughout the Counties Manukau region.
Inpatient Services
Inpatient services are available at:
You will be referred to hospital if your doctor thinks you would benefit from time in hospital to undergo assessment or treatment of your condition or for rehabilitation. You may be referred from home by your GP or from another ward in the hospital if you need more time and therapy to regain the ability to go home.
What To Expect
Although there are doctors involved with your care they may only see you once or twice a week if you are medically stable, but can visit more often if needed. They are always happy to talk with you or your family. Your nurse can set up a time to suit.
The time you spend on the ward depends on the progress you make and whether or not you benefit from daily rehabilitation with the therapists. The purpose of rehabilitation is to regain independence so you will be encouraged to do as much for yourself as possible as you recover. Depending on your problems and abilities, you are encouraged to be as independent as possible during your time on the ward.
Before going home you may have a home visit where the occupational therapist takes you home for about an hour to see how you manage with day to day things in your own home to assess what help or equipment might be needed. Before discharge you and your family may wish to have a meeting with staff if you want to discuss what has happened to you and what help you might need at home.
Long Stay Residential Services
Long Stay Residential Care is only available at:
You will be referred to this service following an assessment by a Geriatrician and NASC (Needs Assessment Service Coordinator) if it is felt that you or a relative requires long term hospital level care. In the future, long stay residential care will be phase out at these hospitals and moved into community residential care.
What to Expect
You will need to visit the Unit first to make sure that there is a bed available or place your or your relative's name on the waiting list. You will be given a Welcome Pack which contains the information that you need to know prior to admission and an Admission Agreement which details the Ministry of Health contract which covers the services offered. It also details the cost or subsidies that are available for this service.
You will be cared for by a General Practitioner, Registered Nurses, Health Care Assistants and Allied Health Staff. You will be encouraged to remain as independent as possible but assisted with tasks that are difficult.
There is a mix of shared rooms and a few single rooms.
Palliative Care Services
Palliative care services are only available at:
You will be referred to this service by Middlemore Hospital, Franklin Hospice or your General Practitioner. This support is also available for symptom control and management.
What to Expect
You will be cared for by a General Practitioner and Registered Nurses. There are single room facilities for these services.
Outpatient Services
Outpatient Clinics are held at the following locations:
Your GP will refer you to this service if they think you would benefit from seeing a team of people to assist with any difficulties related to illnesses affecting you in old age or if they feel you would benefit from a specialist doctor’s advice regarding your medical condition.
Clinics
The waiting times for clinics range from 1 to 12 weeks depending on the urgency of the condition described in your GP’s referral letter.
You will see a Geriatrician, a Registrar (a doctor training to become a specialist) with supervision, Specialist Nurse or Allied Health Professional (Physiotherapist, Dietitian, or Psychologist).
Before seeing the doctor, you may be seen by a nurse who will ask you some questions and take some recordings such as blood pressure and weight. The average length of a clinic appointment is 1 hour with tests following afterwards often taking another 30 mins. During the clinic appointment you will be asked about any symptoms you have as well as your past medical history. Please bring all your medications with you. It is very common in this clinic to be asked a series of questions to test your memory. You will have a physical examination and are likely to have blood tests, an ECG (tracing of your heart) and a Chest X-Ray, depending on what problems you have.
Home Visits
Your GP may request a home (or rest home or private hospital) visit by one of our doctors or nurses. This occurs if you are unable to come into hospital or would be best assessed in your own home. You will be phoned the day before and asked if it is OK for us to visit. The waiting times for home visits are usually 1-2 weeks.
Assessment For Going Into A Rest Home or Long Stay Hospital
Before going into a rest home or private hospital, government agencies require an assessment. This has two parts to it. The first is an assessment by a specialist doctor to look at any health issues that could be affecting your ability to live independently. It is often a good chance to have a general review of your medications. At the clinic your medical history will be reviewed and you will have a physical examination. Depending on your wishes you may see other members of the team to look at what could be done to help keep you in your own home. The second part of the assessment is done by the needs assessment coordinators. They look at what options you have with respect to home assistance and the financial implications of going into a rest home. This assessment usually takes place after the clinic appointment.
