Iron infusion referral form
(DOCX,58.16 KB)
RIR comprises a specialised team of highly skilled nurses and doctors who help facilitate the best health outcomes for residents living in aged care facilities.
About us
The RMH Residential In Reach (RIR) service aims to reduce potentially avoidable presentations to the Emergency Department by providing acute support, early intervention and patient centred healthcare within Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs). It is not intended to replace the primary care provided by the General Practitioners (GP).
What we do
In Reach is a referral and consultation service, predominantly for RACF staff and General Practitioners (GPs) - providing support for acute health issues.
The service aims to support facilities to manage acute health issues where a GP or locum is unavailable or requests additional support. A timely comprehensive assessment is undertaken by our team, liaising with family, facility staff and our consulting RMH Geriatrician.
If ongoing acute interventions are required, the Inreach team may refer to RMH@Home Acute (HITH) for admission and ongoing management.
A copy of In Reach’s detailed assessment and management plan is provided to the facility and faxed to the patient’s GP.
Some common presentations:
The below list is not exhaustive;
- Iron deficiency anaemia requiring iron infusion
- Delirium
- Sepsis
- Acute exacerbation of COPD/chronic lung disease
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)/urosepsis
- Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract infection (URTI/LRTI)
- IDC/SPC/TOV management/Urinary retention
- PEG tubes
- Cellulitis
- Fever of unknown cause
- Complex wounds
- Falls and potential traumatic injury
- Actively dying patient
- Dementia including BPSD
- Functional decline
- Dehydration
- Post-operative infection
- Heart failure (CCF)
- Pain and other distressing symptoms
- Outbreaks (gastroenteritis, Influenza, COVID)
Our catchment
RMH Residential Inreach mainly services RACFs in the suburbs of: Alphington, Ascot Vale, Avondale Heights, Brunswick, Carlton, Coburg, Essendon, Flemington, Glenroy, Jacana, Moonee Ponds, Parkville, Pascoe Vale, Thornbury, and Fawkner.
Some intersection of suburbs can occur with other In Reach Services. Please contact us to confirm RACF catchment.
Affiliates
RMH@Home Acute (formerly known as Hospital in the Home)
Monday - Sunday 24/7
0419 893 685
The RMH@Home service provides inpatient acute and subacute care for patients in their home environment. It is a safe, comfortable and efficient substitution for in-hospital care for a wide range of conditions.
Responsive Acute Palliative Intervention and Decision Assistance Team (RAPID Assist)
Monday – Friday 08:00-16:30
0439 573 526
RAPID, a Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre initiative, provides patients with rapid and responsive access to symptom management and expert assessment and intervention, extending hospital palliative care expertise to patients in the community. The team can assist patients and their family with complex decision-making, goal-setting, specialist symptom advice and treatment, as well as urgent linkage with community palliative care services (MCM and Mercy Palliative Care) if needed.
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.