Care Coordinators and Social Prescribers

 

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Your doctor isn't the only person who can make you feel better

Our friendly Care Coordinators / Social Prescribers are based at the surgery to provide patients with support to manage their overall health and wellbeing.

Social Prescribing icons

Many of Life's problems can make you feel unwell including Loneliness, Unhealthy Lifestyles, Housing Issues, Weight Problems, Addiction, Anxiety, Money Worries, Work and Employment, Language Barriers or Mental Health.

 

Addressing difficult issues needs extra time and support

Our care coordinators / social prescribers can help you look after more than just your health. They work alongside GPs and nurses to help you get the extra support you need.

 

Services to help you feel better

We can link you up with services, for example:

  • Housing, benefits and financial support and advice
  • Employment, training and volunteering
  • Education and Learning
  • Healthy lifestyle advice and physical activity
  • Arts, music, outdoors and creative activities
  • Befriending, counselling and emotional support groups
 

How we support you

  • We can speak with you on the phone or meet face-to-face.
  • Discuss any issues you are facing that may be affecting you
  • Explore what matters to you
  • Find local services and activities
  • Give you support to access services you may need
 

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Frailty Team / Care Coordinators

Our care coordinators provide patients normally age 65 and over with support to manage their health and wellbeing. Using a flexible approach our appointments that are available either at surgery or as a home visit. They can offer a friendly chat with patients, families and carers about services that are available in the community which may help the individual to remain independent in their own home.

 

Learning Disability Team icon

Learning Disability Team

Our team specialise in looking after our learning disability patients. They are available for ongoing or short term support to help patients manage their health needs, including preparing Care Plans for future care decisions.

 

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Social Prescribing Team

Our Social prescribers help patients to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to the wider network of community services focusing on the individuals needs with an emphasis on what matters to you.

 

Next steps

Your GP may suggest the input from our Care Coordinator/ Social Prescribing team and will make the referral for you.

You can make the request yourself or on behalf of a family member or friend, to do this please speak to our Reception Team in surgery or telephone 01900 705750 and they will ask to speak to a member of our Care Coordinator/ Social Prescribing team to get in touch.

 

More information

There are lots of local organisations and support groups available. Visit our Self Help section and Local Support and Information page.

Help is available and we are very lucky to have such a fantastic support network in our local area.

 

Feedback

"The support and kindness I have received from the Care Coordinator team has been amazing, I often felt isolated and unsure what help was available for me. By receiving regular catch ups with the team it has got me out and about joining in local group activities, feeling part of the community whilst getting the help I needed. No question to big or small and I received the answers I needed. Thank you"

"I have been working with the Social Prescriber for just over 6 months now and I can honestly say they have saved my life. In the beginning I was feeling at my lowest point ever, I was lonely, did not know what to do next, my confidence had diminished and I was unable to leave my house. The support, time and advice I received was unbelievable. Taking tiny steps I have achieved so much and can now feel that I belong, with a purpose in life, cannot praise the team enough."

 

Events

The Care Coordinator/ Social Prescribing team are very much part of building a strong community bond and regularly hold events both in surgery and in the community. These include:

  • Regular drop in sessions in the local residential homes.
  • Community events including attending local groups.
  • Wellbeing days in local businesses.
  • Awareness days held at local charities.
  • Surgery events including Carers Corner

Look out for upcoming dates on our newsletters, website, social media and waiting area.

 

Message in a Bottle

The Lions Clubs Message in a Bottle is a simple but effective way for people to keep their basic personal and medical details where they can be found in an emergency on a standard form and in a common location – the fridge.

Image of Message in a Bottle

Message in a Bottle helps emergency services personnel to save valuable time in identifying an individual very quickly and knowing if they have any allergies or take special medication. Recognising the benefits of a MIAB Castlegate and Derwent surgery also use them to direct emergency services to Personalised care plan documents holding future care decisions.

Paramedics, police, fire-fighters and social services support this Lions life-saving initiative and know to look in the fridge when they see the Message in a Bottle stickers, supplied. The initiative provides peace of mind that prompt and appropriate medical assistance can be provided, and next of kin / emergency contacts can be notified.

We also provide patients with a Message in a wallet in case of an emergency outside of the home.

Anne our Care Coordinator said

'In January 2022 we started to implement the Message in a Bottle to our patients, to date we have issued around 32 to our patients who now have a message in a bottle in their fridges.'

Doris said 'It’s peace of mind knowing that my family will be notified and the information about my medication and allergies will help them treat me more quickly'

'I care for my husband who has dementia and he would not be able to provide all the information in an emergency situation so the bottle in the fridge is a great solution'

Image of Anne Care Coordrinator

It is such a simple and straight forward idea, everyone has a fridge and putting the information in there makes perfect sense.

If you are interested in yourself or a family member receiving a message in a bottle, please get in touch with our Care Coordinator team. Speak to our Reception 01900 705750.