The Rapid Response Service means that unless there is a medical need for someone to go in to hospital, they can immediately be given support from a group of qualified staff who will provide assistance in the home until a longer term solution is put in place.

Accessing the Service

Referrals are expected to come from GPs, NHS 24, ambulance staff, social workers, district nurses and Allied Health Professionals or the Accident & Emergency department of hospitals.

The service will available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Community Care Access Team on 0345 301 11 20 (outwith normal working hours this number will be automatically redirected to the Out of Hours Social Work Team). Referrals can also be made outwith normal working hours via the NHS Tayside Out of Hours Hub at Wallacetown (01382 466600).

Services

The service will ensure that any medical, nursing and social care support needs are provided in a coordinated way at times of crisis. The Social Care Officers in the Rapid Response Service can help in a number of ways in the home as an alternative to hospital or a care home. This can include -

• personal care tasks, such as toileting and continence care 
• assistance with meals;
• prompting or administering of medication;
• highlighting any changes in the client's condition to relevant professionals/services. 
• If support is required from a District Nurse, social worker, occupational therapist OT) or physiotherapist, this can also be arranged.

Costs

There is no charge for accessing the Rapid Response Service. There are charges applied for a range of care services which may be part of a long-term care package, however these will be fully explained if they apply to you.

What happens next?

The Rapid Response Service is there to provide immediate support. Anyone who receives the service will be assessed to see what support measures need to be in place to allow you to continue living independently at home in the longer term. This may mean accessing services such as home care, community meals or community alarm which can be put in place quite quickly, or it could be that the individual would benefit from a short stay in residential care while their situation is more fully assessed. This could be accessed via a Step Up Care placement in a local residential care home. For more information on step up please see the Step Up Care page please note that there are charges for using the Step Up Care service.