Ward/dept |
Frailty Unit (inside Evergreen) |
Main speciality |
Frailty – SDEC for Older People |
Ward Sister/department lead |
Beatriz Lopes |
Matron |
Carole Sheehan |
Divisional Director of Nursing |
Caroline Bates |
Ward direct phone line |
01322428100 + EXT 8359 / Bleep 412 |
Visiting times |
08:00 – 20:30 |
Protected mealtimes |
N/A |
Any other info required |
Open to ED, Outpatient, direct ambulance conveyance and community referrals |
Our ageing and health service sees people over 65, helping them with concerns that may be affecting their independence and well-being. We also accept patients under 65 where it's felt we can best address their needs.
Our team includes specialist doctors, nurses and therapists who deliver the support to patients they need based on their individual needs, which includes:
- Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment from a specialised multi-disciplinary team to determine a frail older person’s medical conditions, mental health and functional capacity
- Our Frailty Index Screening Tool to identify patients who should be admitted to our Frailty Assessment Unit (FAU) to receive the best ongoing care through the most appropriate care pathway
- Our physiotherapists and occupational therapists may provide advice and exercises, e.g. to help with walking and movement
- Our dedicated Frailty Team of specialist nurses and consultants advise on the care and treatment of older inpatients across the Trust.
Inpatient services are provided from dedicated wards at Darent Valley Hospital with outpatient clinics held at Outpatients or in our Evergreen Unit at Darent Valley Hospital; and the Planned Care Centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup. We also have a dedicated Stroke Unit at Darent Valley Hospital.
Ageing and Health Department, Evergreen Unit
Darent Valley Hospital. Contact number: 01322 428357
Outpatients
Darent Valley Hospital. Contact number: 01322 428100
Outpatients
Queen Mary’s Hospital. Contact number: 020 8302 2678 ext. 4061
Referrals can be made by GPs through the NHS e-Referral service or by a hospital consultant. Referrals are triaged and allocated to the appropriate clinic. Patients who require an urgent review can expect to be seen within 48-72 hours of referral.
Download 'Urgent Access Clinic Referral Form for Complex Adults'
Patients requiring a less urgent review will be offered an appointment within two weeks of referral.
Our Ageing and Health service offers a wide range of Outpatient Clinics for patients with:
- Complex falls
- Stroke and TIA (‘mini stroke’)
- Pre-syncope and Syncope (black-out)
- Osteoporosis (including a daily infusion service)
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple co-existing complications requiring a comprehensive general assessment (CGA)
- General Medical Clinic for adult patients of all ages
The Rapid Access Clinic (RACE) provides CGA for frail older adults, particularly those where an admission to hospital might be avoided by a prompt muldisciplinary assessment. Please note that this is not a two-week wait pathway and those patients with suspected cancer may be better referred to the relevant two-week wait pathway if appropriate.
Visit Proactive Care of the Older People Undergoing Surgery (POPS) page
We have partnered with Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust for the proactive care of older people (POPS) to embed specialist geriatric and medical services within the surgical pathway to provide personalised holistic care to our surgical patients aged 65 years and above. Our patients will get a multidisciplinary pre-operative risk assessment and optimisation, as well as proactive support for elective and emergency admissions.
We use ‘Interactive Me’ Technology to provide personalised relationship-based care for our dementia patients.
The Trust has a dedicated Dementia Buddy scheme which is a network of trained volunteers that support and engage with dementia patients during their hospital stay to help improve their overall experience and ensure that their dignity and abilities are maintained.
Useful contacts: