The team provides a coherent and effective multi-disciplinary approach to care that draws on the different contributions of individual clinical disciplines and matches the service users’ needs with the skills available within the team.
An integrated approach to care will be offered that will include a unified health and social care assessment process and coordination of roles and responsibilities.
The service brings together a skilled and qualified multi-disciplinary team into a single operational management structure. Team members contribute their profession specific skills, knowledge and responsibilities. The team is made up of the following disciplines:
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The service also has access to specialist dementia speech and language therapist and a neuro psychologist within Older Peoples Mental Health Services.
Referral can be made to the following professionals for advice and support during the process of assessment and diagnosis:
- Dietitian
- Physiotherapist
- Geriatrician
- Neurologist
- Speech and language therapist
The team provides community based support for people across the Belfast Trust area who are over the age of 65 and experiencing a mental illness and people living with dementia and their carers.
Aims of Service
To ensure care and referral pathways are clear and that service users are referred quickly and efficiently to the correct discipline and service.
To provide advice, education, information and support to service users, carers, families and other local agencies in the management of people with mental health problems and work in partnership with them in the effective provision and delivery of care.
Working with service users and carers within a model of care that promotes independence and enables individuals to have choice to maximise their full potential in day to day life and when appropriate, discharge from secondary services.
Working collaboratively with and referring appropriately to other services such as Home Treatment Teams, Integrated Care Teams, In-Patient Services, Outreach services, Alzheimer’s Society, AGENI etc.
Enabling service users to have access to local advocacy services, support groups, befriending services.
Assessing the needs of carers and ensuring appropriate support is given within available resources and signposting to community support groups where appropriate.
Actively involving service users and carers in planning and delivering mental health services for older people.
Promoting the needs of older people with mental health problems and reducing the stigma associated with mental health care.
Accessibility of the service
The service is provided both through consultant clinics and MDT domicilary visits. Clinics are carried out across each sector of Belfast providing access to all communities. Clinics occur at the following locations:
- Rathlin Outpatient Department, Knockbracken Healthcare Park
Old Sea House, Antrim Road - Beechall Health and Wellbeing Centre, Andersonstown Road
- Grove Health and Wellbeing Centre
- Woodstock Lodge, Woodstock Link
All clinics are on bus routes and have car parking facilities. All referrals to the service are triaged and allocated either to a clinic appointment or a domicilary visit dependent on referral information.
Appointments for clinics can be changed and alternative dates and time can be facilitated. Suitable dates and times for domicilary visits will be agreed between the person and the service.
Team Location and Opening Hours
The team is based at Graham House, Knockbracken Healthcare Park and covers the whole of the Belfast Trust geographical area. The staff members are split to cover South, East, Castlereagh, West Belfast and North Belfast.
The operational hours are Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. There are extended opening times for the dementia navigator function, Monday to Thursday evenings until 8pm and weekends from 10am to 2pm. This function provides people with dementia and their carers with support, information, signposting and referral into the team if required.
The team have an answer phone message giving details of emergency contact numbers when the office is closed. Outside the hours of 9am to 5pm, the Regional Emergency SW team and out of hours GP can be contacted.
How to contact us
Tel: (028) 9504 0346
We also offer an extended telephone advice and support service for people living with dementia and their carers operating:
- Monday to Thursday until 8pm
- Saturday 10am to 1pm
If you need to speak to someone outside these hours please contact: Regional Social Work Service (028) 9504 9999