Frailty Virtual Ward working hours – Monday to Friday 9-5 (Excluding Bank Holidays)
Frailty Virtual Ward Contact Number: 07970195436
If the person you care for feels unwell outside of these hours, this number will be diverted to The Gateshead Rapid Response Team.
Gateshead Rapid Response direct number: 0191 4458400
What is a Virtual Ward?
Your NHS team feels that the condition of the person who you provide, or are planning to provide unpaid help and support to, is stable and that they can safely recover and/or be supported to stay in their own home, providing they have the right support and monitoring. The NHS can offer this support and monitoring at home; this is called a Virtual Ward.
The Frailty Virtual Ward provides face to face healthcare support in the person’s home. Healthcare staff will monitor their condition and provide support until their condition improves. Regular monitoring means that if they become unwell, this will be picked up early and appropriate care can be delivered. This might mean more intensive care at home, or accessing treatment in hospital quickly if they need it. The person needing care remains under the care of the hospital or community consultant.
Thinking of providing care and support, unpaid, to a family member or a friend?
The purpose of this leaflet is to give you some information to help you if you are providing or about to provide unpaid care. The patient will also have been given a leaflet which provides useful information and which you should try to read, too.
Remember, you have a legal right about whether or not to provide unpaid care to another adult. If you don’t feel comfortable providing care, you must raise this with the Virtual Ward Team.
Please note that if you are under 18 years old and a young carer, separate advice will apply to you.
What does providing unpaid care mean?
Families and friends sometimes help or support someone they know who is ill, disabled or who has become frail e.g. a family member, a close friend or neighbour.
This support might include helping someone in their own home or over the phone and can include things like:
- Helping someone with medication, reminding them, collecting it or helping to give medication.
- Providing daily support such as helping them move around the house, making meals for them, cleaning or other chores.
- Providing support with mental health or prompting, reminding if someone is forgetful or even supervision if someone finds tasks difficult to manage.
- Emotional support like helping someone manage anxiety.
- Helping manage money, paid care or other services.
- Making appointments, arranging care.
- Helping someone to wash, dress, bathe or helping someone to eat.
- Or it could be providing much more complex care such as supporting them to record observations such as pulse and blood pressure.
If you do any of these things, then that means you are an unpaid carer.
What about sharing information with me?
If you are providing unpaid care, then you should be involved in care decisions, where appropriate. This means that your knowledge about the person can contribute to decisions about the care and support being provided by the NHS and social care services.
Your ability to physically care for the patient and communicate with the clinical teams should also be considered and relevant training provided. You should be provided with access to information about who to contact and what to do if:
- You are no longer able to provide unpaid care on a virtual ward for any reason;
- The condition of the person receiving care has worsened;
- The needs of the person receiving care have increased.
Both your experience and the experience of the person you care for are valued as virtual wards evolve. Please share your experience if you are willing to provide it. Please follow QR code to do this or follow this link https://forms.office.com/e/KtZBZex6T6.
The patient’s consent will be asked for if they are able to provide it. The person you provide unpaid care for (the patient) will have been given a leaflet about the virtual ward which you might also find helpful. Your needs should also be considered by the virtual ward team, so you feel supported to care.
What’s in the patient leaflet?
This tells the person you care for about:
- What happens if their condition worsens
- If care or visits are being provided when and how they will be delivered
- Who will contact them if something is not going right
- Who provides support and advice on what to do next
- A contact for the virtual ward
What about support for you as an unpaid carer?
If you are likely to be providing unpaid care that affects parts of your life, you may decide that you need more help to:
- Stay in work – talk to your employer, you might be able to get flexible working. You can get advice here: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/work-and-career
- Continue any studies or education – talk to your college or university – there are some tips here: https://carers.org/studying-and-training/studying-and-training
- Support your wellbeing – get support from local carers’ support or here: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health
- Manage financially – look at what you might be entitled to here: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support
- Support for your wider family – look at what you might be entitled here: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/practical-support
- Coordinate care and support to the person you care for – https://jointlyapp.com/
- Learn about the health and care needs of the person you care for by asking for appropriate sources of information
Anyone providing unpaid care and support is entitled to a carer’s assessment. A carer’s assessments looks at your needs as an unpaid carers and meeting outcomes that are important to you.
Where can I find further information?
More information can be found on Gateshead Council website : https://www.gateshead.gov.uk
Go to the Carers UK (https://www.carersuk.org/) and Carers Trust (https://www.carers.org/) websites for information about support available.
Carers UK also have an online forum where you can speak to other carers, and a free helpline, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm on 0808 808 7777. Your local carers’ support can be found here: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/get-support/local-support