Trusts collaborate for better way for older, frail patients
A new service from the Care of the Elderly (COTE) Team aims to improve the care of elderly, frail patients and avoid hospital admission where possible.
In collaboration with colleagues at our neighbouring Trust, Central and North West London Foundation Trust, the COTE Team will identify those patients suitable for acute healthcare at home. This will be delivered by the CNWL Team for up to 14 days.
‘Frailty Hospital @ Home’ (H@H) will start this month with patients in the Frailty Assessment Unit at Hillingdon Hospital. There are inclusion and exclusion criteria and a caseload limit but also planned expansion, to elderly care and medical wards, community referral and admission avoidance.
Further developments could include the use of wearable devices to allow for remote monitoring by clinicians.
Dr Eleni Baldwin, our Trust’s clinical specialty lead for elderly medicine, said H@H will serve patients from across wards and departments eventually, and asked colleagues to work with it to help to provide patients who present with a frailty crisis with the care they need safely and conveniently at home.
“We think this will be a useful tool when it comes to the treatment of older, frail patients here at Hillingdon and we’re working hard to get it established then rolled out as widely as possible,” she said.
We think this will be a useful tool when it comes to the treatment of older, frail patients here at Hillingdon and we’re working hard to get it established then rolled out as widely as possible