Care Home Support Team (Richmond)

The Care Home Support Team (CHST) provides advice and support to care home colleagues to enable them to improve the quality of life and healthcare of residents and reduce ambulance call outs, unnecessary A&E attendance or hospital admission. 

Services we provide

• Advice and support for residents with complex health needs
• Assessment, re-assessments, and reviews of healthcare for residents 
• Support with initiating programmes of care and developing escalation plans
• Management of common neurological conditions, such as stroke
• Support in the management of end-of-life care and advance care planning.
• Support with planning Universal Care Plans for residents
• Follow up visits after admission and ambulance call outs, to reduce the likelihood of re-attendance at A&E
• Referral to other services for as appropriate.
• Review of all new residents admitted to care homes.
• Review of all residents with an indwelling catheter to determine the necessity of it.
• Prescribing of medication, anticipatory injectable medication, dressings, catheter supplies
• Support with the implementation of evidence-based clinical tools and policies to underpin effective and consistent care management for residents.
• Working with care home staff to improve standards in areas of care management known to result in high volumes of avoidable ambulance call outs, hospital attendances and admissions. 
• Training to care home staff.