Elderly Care Assessment

In January 2011, the Vale ECAS Unit (Elderly Care Assessment Service) was set up within Barry Day Hospital.

This is a service that has been successfully run for many years in Cardiff. Patients are referred to this service by their GP or Medical Emergency Assessment Unit (MEAU)/Accident and Emergency (A & E). It is staffed by a Geriatric Consultant, a registered Nurse, an Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and an Auxiliary Nurse. The service sees a maximum of two new patients and one review patient each Monday and Friday.

ECAS aims to provide rapid-access assessment for people who are at risk of deteriorating, or who are deteriorating at home or in residential care and for whom early multidisciplinary input is likely to avert hospital admission.

AIMS

To undertake timely review of older people who are at risk of deteriorating, or who are deteriorating in the community, or failing in Residential Homes.
To provide multidisciplinary input.
To provide a community based rehabilitation plan where appropriate.
To maintain close links with other Intermediate Care services.
To provide a full (and written) multidisciplinary assessment to enable Social Services and Primary Care Teams to support older people in their own homes.
To recognise when admission to secondary care services is necessary and advise or arrange such admission.

With all these aims, the service strives to:

attain the highest standard of performance possible for our patients' individual needs
treat patients with courtesy and respect
provide a clinically effective service based on good practice with awareness of current research
treat patients equally regardless of racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, sex, age, disability or sexuality
respect the patients' rights to privacy and confidentially
maximise patients' independence within their abilities.