Rapid Response
What is it?
Rapid Response is a crisis home care service that is designed to provide 24–hour access,
seven days a week support from care workers specially trained to deal with crisis situations.
These situations include night calls, personal care and practical services such as shopping
in emergency situations. The services is normally free for up to 72 hours until a final
assessment can be made by Social Services or a health professional can take place.
- To ensure a patient does not stay in an acute hospital environment for longer than is necessary
- To ensure that a timely and comprehensive care package is offered in a setting that will maximise the patient´s independent
Medico Home Care´s Objective
The aim of the Rapid Response service is to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospitals, residential and nursing homes. This is
critical at a time where the UK government are trying to prevent bed–blocking situations in NHS hospitals.
The service supports people returning to their own homes after a stay in hospital and people in crisis
situations
How can we help?
Many of our services are of direct relevance/applicability to meeting rapid response needs, including:
- Personal care – assistance with getting up and out of bed, help with dressing undressing,
help with bathing, washing, dressing. Also assistance to and from the toilet, catheter and
colostomy care if required.
- Maintaining health – help with preparation of meals, making sure food storage areas
are hygienic, etc. Providing assistance with medicines, collection of prescriptions, etc.
- Social companionship / Emotional support – helping to provide independence and promoting
social involvement and encouragement on the road to recovery
- Domestic – help with tasks such as shopping, cleaning, laundry to provide assistance
and reassurance in the home.
The goals of effective hospital discharge to the service user are;
- Meet their needs
- Ensure they feel part of the care process (as an active partner and not disempowered)
- Experience care as a coherent pathway, not a series of unrelated activities
- Ensure they feel that have been supported and have made the right decisions about their future care
- Ensure linkage between hospital intermediate care teams and social services discharge team
 – We are only a phone call away.
Use our Branch Finder to
find out your nearest Medico office.
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