Introduction
The purpose of a guest assessment is to identify what care needs and preferences a person may have along with the outcomes they hope to achieve to improve or maintain their wellbeing by staying at Leuchie for a short respite break. This enables suitably qualified staff to determine whether Leuchie can meet their needs. This eligibility and assessment policy applies to both new and returning guests. Returning guests are always reassessed for suitability in line with changes in care needs and preferences.
Scope
This policy sets out our guest eligibility criteria and the framework of our assessment process before any short break is confirmed.
Definitions
Individuals coming to stay at Leuchie are referred to as our ‘guests’ and must be over 18 although most of our guests are much older than this.
Enquiries for short breaks are accepted directly from potential guests, carers, health professionals and social workers. Initial enquiries are the starting point of our assessment process even if it does not result in a confirmed reservation. Eligibility is dependent not only on meeting the above conditions but also on the outcome of our assessment process.
Conditions supported by Leuchie
Leuchie house provides short breaks offering respite to individuals and their carers living with the following long term conditions:
- Neurological conditions such as MS, Parksinson’s, MND, Huntington’s and other similar conditions
- Strokes
- Spinal injuries
- Brain injuries
Appropriate and proportionate assessment
The assessment process is designed to be appropriate and proportionate to the needs and circumstances of each potential guest and as such Leuchie house will consider:
- The guests wishes, preferences and desired outcomes
- The severity and overall extent of the guests needs
- The potential fluctuation of the guests needs
Leuchie house will always establish a guests communication needs and adapt the assessment process accordingly.
The initial assessment process
- First contact
Our assessment begins from the point of the initial enquiry where information concerning the potential guest begins to be captured in our initial telephone assessment. Contact staff will make clear to the person making the enquiry that information is being gathered and may contribute to a guest’s assessment. Contact staff always have access to registered nurses with appropriate expertise should queries arise that go beyond their knowledge and skill base.
- Invitation of a house visit
We always encourage potential guests and their carers to visit Leuchie if they are interested in booking a respite break. This visit involves meeting registered health professionals who may be involved in delivering their care and informs a valuable part of our guest assessment.
- Pre admission self-assessment
Comprehensive Information is gathered about each guests through the completion of our pre admission self-assessment. This document is issued to each guest or the appropriate individual for completion and return. This form also contains a section asking for consent to contact other health professionals associated with each potential guests care, such as their GP, district nurse, dietician, speech and language therapist, physiotherapist or indeed any other relevant health professional. Whilst we will always respect individual privacy, if this consent is declined then it will impact on a guests overall assessment and may result in a refusal to confirm a respite stay. We are unable to proceed with respite enquiries until this document is returned.
- Single shared assessment
If the individual is supported in the community by a social worker then we will request a copy of their single shared assessment. We are unable to proceed with respite enquiries until this document has been sent to us.
- Leuchie house nurse assessment and decision
Once we have all the information available to us a registered nurse will carry out the assessment of the guests needs, requesting further information from other associated health care professionals if required. The nurse may call the guest or their appropriate contact to discuss or clarify certain points. This assessment informs whether we have the necessary expertise, resources and equipment to meet the needs of the guest. This evaluation will be signed by the nurse with reasons documented for their decision as to whether a respite stay can be reserved or not (See assessment review checklist)
Where there are identifiable or known social/emotional or behavioural support requirements these will be flagged to the RN who will gather all known information and review suitability of placement with the registered manager
- Dependency score
If a respite stay can be reserved then the registered nurse will calculate a guest dependency score. This is our tool which measures how much individual care a guest will require which in turn informs our planning and preparation. It also determines the cost of a holiday (see dependency score policy).
- Confirmation of booking
On completion of the nurse assessment and dependency score, reservations may be finalised with support offered in securing funding if local authorities are involved.
- Pre-admission telephone call
Approximately 7-10 working days prior to the date of the guests holiday, each guest will be called to confirm there have been no changes to their care needs since the date of their assessment and to answer any practical questions guest’s may have. Arrival and departure times are noted and a reminder is given concerning what to bring (See Pre-admission call checklist)
The continuous assessment process
Our initial guest assessment determines whether or not Leuchie house can meet the overall needs of individual guests however, our assessment does not end once a short break has been confirmed. Our care team will be continually assessing each guest during their stay from the point of their arrival to the point of departure and our corresponding ability to meet all of their needs.
We may make referrals to health professionals in the community concerning the welfare of our guests and will be continually making sure that each guest is cared for in line with an appropriate dependency. We always reassess the care required by each individual at the end of their holiday and it can go up or down. This is always communicated to the guest in their discharge letter.
Individuals wishing to return to Leuchie are always reassessed at the point of reserving their next stay and up to date information is requested as necessary.
Ending a short break early
Initiated by the guest
We want all our guests to settle in well and enjoy their stay at Leuchie. Should a guest choose to leave before the end of their holiday then they are entirely free to do so assuming they have an appropriate means of care at home (See termination of a short break policy).
Initiated by Leuchie
In very rare cases we receive guests who, even after a robust assessment process we find we are unable to meet their care needs. Leuchie house reserve the right to end a short break early and make arrangements for the guest to return home or to another suitable placement. We have a separate policy outlining the conditions where ending a guests stay is necessary (see termination of a short break policy).
We have an experienced administration function dedicated to undertaking the practical arrangements required in organising respite breaks. Administration staff always have access to care staff with appropriate expertise should queries arise that go beyond their knowledge and skill base. Individual assessments of care needs are always carried out by registered healthcare professionals.
When problems arise
In very rare cases we may receive a service user who, even after a robust assessment, we find we are unable to meet their needs. In this eventuality Leuchie House reserves the right to end a short break early and make arrangements for the guest to return home or to another suitable placement. We have a separate policy outlining the conditions where ending a stay may be necessary (see “Termination of a Short Break Policy”).
Associated documents supporting this policy
- Dependency Tool Policy
- Terminating of a Short Break early Policy
- Pre-admission Assessment Written Procedure and Corresponding Checklists
- Assessing Care Needs
- Post-admission Assessment Written Procedure
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In order to determine whether or not Leuchie House can support a service user, we have in place an assessment process. The outcome of this assessment is used firstly to allow us to make a decision about whether or not we are able to achieve this.
The outcome of our assessment also allows us to measure the resources we need to have in place to manage the service users routine and expectations. We refer to this as a service user’s ‘dependency’ and it is this dependency that informs how we allocate our resources and expertise. We have a separate policy detailing how our dependency tool is applied and how we use it to determine the number of guests we can accommodate at any given time. This is kept in our policy documentation.
Even after service users arrive at Leuchie House we will continually review and assess our ability to meet their needs for the duration of their stay.
Background – Leuchie house is legally insured to provide short respite breaks to service users suffering from:
- multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, motor neurone disease, strokes and spinal injuries and other similar long term conditions, visually impaired and frailty (elderly).
- Service users must be over 18 although most of our guests are much older than this.