The Acute Response Team (ART) provides short-term health, personal care and rehabilitation support so you can remain in the community.

Home is evidenced to be the best place to recover and regain your independence. Enablement and rehabilitation will be a priority focus in your personalised plan, which will require your active participation for you to regain your optimum level of ability.

The ART will continue to support you until ongoing care has been arranged, for example with social services or you no longer require support. We continuously review your care needs and this may mean a change in your personal plan, for example visits may decrease or increase as your needs change.

We make sure you and your family and/or carers are involved in your care. Your personal care plan will be created in discussion with you or your nominated advocate.

We provide short term care to:

• enable you, where possible, to remain in your home environment. This may include patients who are acutely unwell who would otherwise have required hospital admission or long-term care
• enable you to live as independently as possible and support rehabilitation in the community. This may involve other agencies when required
• facilitate early supported discharge from hospital.

Who will be providing your care?

We will discuss which healthcare professionals you need to see and what happens when they arrive, for example you may feel well enough to answer the door or you may prefer for them to use a key safe so they can let themselves in.

Depending on your needs, we may make multiple visits a day. This may mean you do not always see the same nurse or healthcare assistant for example.

A full assessment of your needs will be undertaken by the team. The following healthcare professionals may provide your care.

Occupational therapist (OT)

Can assess and assist you to achieve your full potential in daily living activities. This may include personal care and domestic tasks. This can be achieved by practising and adapting tasks to build your confidence and independence. They can assess your mental health, taking into consideration areas such as memory, concentration, anxiety, depression and problem solving. They can assess for and provide suitable equipment and home adaptations to increase your independence.

Physiotherapist

Can assess you and create an achievable personalised programme to improve areas such as muscle strength, mobility and balance. With your active and ongoing participation this will improve your ability to perform daily activities, such as walking, climbing stairs and going out.

Nurse

Can assess you from a health perspective. This may include blood pressure monitoring, wound management, overview of medication, blood tests and falls assessments. Your requirements will be discussed and agreed with you in your care plan.

Nurse associates and/or assistant practitioners

Can assess and assist you to achieve your full potential in daily living activities and health needs.

Healthcare assistant (HCA)

Can visit you to support you with your planned care, providing continual assessment of your ability, health and needs.

The ART can arrange care from GP’s, geriatricians and advanced healthcare professionals who can support with short-term urgent medical needs. We can also arrange support from other health and social care services or agencies to support your needs. This may include other NHS services, social services, your GP or voluntary services.