Residential In-Reach Service
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Residential In-Reach comprises a specialised team of highly skilled nurses who help facilitate the best health outcomes for residents living in aged care facilities.
The team liaises with senior medical staff at the RMH and with the resident's GP to provide assessment and treatment of subacute medical issues within the aged care sector.
The purpose of In-Reach is to reduce the number of non-acute hospital presentations by providing early intervention and patient focused healthcare and support within the aged care sector.
Services include:
- Attending the residential facility to assess the resident
- Initiating treatment as indicated
- Fast tracking plain x-rays using Mobile X-ray service - now available for all residents in the inner north
- Changing or trouble shooting urinary catheters (including suprapubic)
- PEG tube management (RMH patients)
- Administering intravenous fluids and medications
- Providing priority referral to allied health services
- Referring to palliative care services
- Wound management
- Providing support following the resident’s Emergency Department or hospital discharge
- Providing advice and education for aged care facility staff
- Facilitating referral to Emergency Department or the RMH Hospital In the Home service as appropriate
Eligibility
Where medication is required, a copy of the drug chart will be faxed to the GP for written confirmation, the completed chart can then be returned to the residential facility by fax.
Admission to RMH Hospital In The Home (HITH) is required for intravenous interventions. The In-Reach nurse will discuss this with the Medical Director of RMH HITH, who must give approval.
GPs will receive faxed clinical details summary from In-Reach.
In-Reach does not provide ongoing care or follow up review of residents unless specifically requested.
Referrals
We accept phone referrals to this service.
Referrals are triaged. If required, specialist RMH nursing and medical staff can visit the patient on the same day in the residential care facility.
Special referral instructions
GP or Locums, Ambulance Services, aged care facility staff, RMH wards and the emergency department are able to refer patients to this service.
To refer a patient, call the In-Reach Nurse and advise the resident's details. An In-Reach nurse will attend the facility and assess the resident. An In-Reach nurse will then call to notify the referrer of the resident’s assessment and discuss whether any treatment needs to be initiated.