INTAKE

Intake and Assessment - What does this mean?

Intake
The door to PHS is through the Intake and Assessment team which makes the first point of contact with a specialist palliative care nurse.

Our admission processes aim to ensure that each referral to PHS is checked so that appropriate services are provided at the right time and in the right place. The decisions are made on an individual basis against client need.

Referrals are received from a variety of sources and to establish that PHS is the appropriate Service, all referrals are thoroughly screened. PHS Intake Nurses will contact the referrer, client, local doctor and specialists to ensure that we have the correct and most up-to-date information upon which to base our decisions. Once this is done, the need dictates our response time and a priority to be seen is allocated accordingly. These times vary from urgent (within 24 hours) to days or even weeks, depending on individual circumstances and client wishes.

PHS liaises very closely with General Practitioners, local hospitals (both public and private) and also with the palliative care teams in the Melbourne Hospitals. This ensures that we have all the information needed to make the transition from hospital to home is as smooth as possible.

The palliative care needs of all clients and care givers is reviewed by a PHS specialist palliative care team initially in a two phase assessment in liaison with the client's General Practitioner who remains the primary medical manager in the community.

Assessment
PHS palliative care assessment is done in two phases, recognising that it takes time to develop a clear picture of a family's needs and to build a trusting relationship.

Specialist palliative care nurses, who have additional training and experience in palliative care, carry out the first phase of assessment and, in a shared care arrangement with the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS), continue to provide the ongoing palliative care nursing.

The second phase of assessment is made by a Counsellor/Case Worker who have various training backgrounds which include Pyschology, Social Work, Pastoral Care and Counselling. All have palliative care experience and are trained to assist with some of the practical and emotional challenges that impact on those needing palliative care.

Normal everyday activities may require additional support and sometimes the opportunity to be able to talk about your worries, fears and hopes is necessary.

Working together as an interdisciplinary team maximises the opportunity to identify how PHS can best meet the needs and wishes of both client and care givers. Ongoing assessment and monitoring is part of routine care after the initial assessment phase.