Care in our hospital for older people

You may come to Torbay Hospital for a review after being referred by your GP or community team, or through our Emergency Department. Sometimes you may need to stay in hospital for a short time while we do some investigations or provide treatment that we can’t give you in your own home. If we are able to care for you at home, we will do so and this may be arranged through our teams in our Emergency Department, our Medical Receiving Unit or through our community Intermediate Care teams.

Healthcare of the Older People

Care in our hospital for older people the team are called, Healthcare of the Older People.

If we need you to stay in hospital you are likely to be cared for on one of our wards that specialises in caring for older people. These ward teams generally provide care for older people who may be experiencing falls, confusion, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, difficulty walking, or general acute medical illnesses. If you have broken a bone, need hospital care but not an operation you may be cared for on these wards.

Our wards

At Torbay Hospital there are two main wards which specialise in caring for older people. These are Cheetham Hill ward and Simpson ward. We also have a dedicated stroke ward called George Earle ward. Each ward has 24 beds and men and women are cared for in separate bays. All three wards are in the Hetherington block at Torbay hospital. People with broken bones who need an operation are cared for on Ainslie ward which specialises in looking after older people who need, or have had, orthopaedic surgery.

During your stay with us, you will be cared for by a team of dedicated staff, including doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dietitians, discharge coordinators, social workers, administrators, domestic workers and volunteers. You may also meet and be cared for by medical and nursing students during your stay. You will have a named consultant who oversees a team of doctors and they are responsible for your day to day treatment and progress. Our nursing teams work in a pattern of 2 shifts over 24 hours on our wards – on each shift you will have a named nurse who is responsible for organising and planning your care.

Our dedicated teams really care about what matters to you and will do their best to respect your wishes and choices as much as possible. We also know that the best place for many people to recover is in their own bed and we will work with you to get you home as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. We will start planning for your return home as soon as you are admitted to one of our wards and work with you, your family and your support network to make sure this is done as safely and quickly as possible. Please do talk to us about going home and let us know how we can help you, a social worker or community care worker may also help with discharge plans.

Supporting you

During your hospital stay, we want you to:

tell us what matters to you
tell us how we can achieve this together
understand what we think is the matter with you
know the plan for tests, treatments and therapy
know when you might expect to leave hospital
know who the team are who are looking after you
keep us up to date with how you are feeling so we can help

We can:

get you more information whenever you want it
answer any questions you may have
contact your loved ones at your request
arrange a phone or video call with your loved ones
contact the chaplaincy for a visit, whichever faith you have

Caring for people living with dementia in our hospitals

We know that being in hospital can be difficult for people living with dementia because it is a strange and unfamiliar place. People may feel more confused than usual because of the different environment they are in.

There are things you and your family can do to help us:

you and your family can complete a ‘This is Me’ document which tells us all about your likes and dislikes.
you may like to have something comforting with you, like a familiar blanket or photos of loved ones or pets.
keeping in touch with your loved ones. We can phone or video call your family or friends so you can speak together.
eating and drinking regularly. We will encourage your loved ones to bring in drinks and snacks that you like. If you prefer eating little and often ask us about our finger food menu. If you need support with eating or drinking, let us know.

When can I go home?

Everyone is different when it comes to their recovery from illness. How long you may stay in hospital will depend on what the problem was, how long you have been unwell and how much extra help you need to help you get home. Your ward team will talk to you about getting home safely as soon as you arrive so that when you are ready to go home, any support you need is ready and in place. Our Discharge Coordinator will talk to you about all the available options, funding and practicalities and listen to what matters to you and your family or loved ones. Everyone is different and what is available to you will depend on your personal situation, needs and wishes.

We will always aim to get you home as soon as you are well enough for us to support you at home safely. We need to know that you are able to care for yourself or be cared for at home. Some people may need a short period of additional support when they first go home to help them regain their independence. Our intermediate care, rapid response or reablement teams are available to help with rehabilitation and care for those who need it.

Sometimes our patients need a bit more time to get better or build up their strength before they can go home. Together with you and your loved ones, we will work out a plan to get you home once you’ve had a period of further care or rehabilitation. If this is the case for you, you may have a short stay in one of our community hospitals or a care home with help the intermediate care service. or more information, see our Intermediate Care Placement leaflet.

Depending on your situation, you may benefit from some help at home in the form of carers, new equipment or adaptions to your home. This can take time to organise. We will continue to work with you to support your recovery and strength while you wait for these services to be put in place, so that you are ready to leave as soon as everything at home is ready for you.

Community hospitals

Why I might need to go to a community Hospital?

We may ask you to go to a community hospital if you need a period of further care or rehabilitation before you go home. Each of our community hospitals have a multi-disciplinary team made up of nursing, therapy, medical staff, social workers and community care workers and a discharge co-ordinator who will work with you and your loved ones to help you get home as soon as you can.

Our physiotherapy and occupational therapy specialists will work with you to set realistic goals, helping you to recover and meet your needs.

During your stay at one of our community hospitals, you may also complete treatment that started at Torbay Hospital, for example intravenous antibiotics.

When can I go home from the community hospital?

Find out more about our community hospitals: