Community Mental Health Team

[Selinacroft]

Has anyone had any experience of dealing with this as a referral from the memory clinic?
Have they been able to help with difficult and challenging behaviour and if so how have they helped you?

 

[Louise7]

My Mum was referred to the local community mental health team by her GP following her discharge from hospital. She was very anxious/agitated, constantly pacing and couldn't sleep (which started in the hospital). The GP prescribed 2 different medications, which didn't work very well, but also made the referral as he said the mental health team would be better placed to help as they were specialists (they work closely with the local memory clinic). So far Mum has had two visits from the team, and they have withdrawn the medication prescribed by the GP and put her onto something else. This has been working really well, and Mum has been so much better, so I would recommend speaking with them if you can as they have a lot of expertise.

 

[Selinacroft]

Thanks Louise- GP has done a referral back to memory clinic for a new assessment so I presume this will lead to Community mental Health Nurse. I do think meds play quite a part in things and Dad hasn't had the right combination yet so fingers crossed I get an apt through soon for him. No idea of referral time scales.

 

[Louise7]

Hopefully you won't have too much of a wait Selina. In my Mum's case the GP made an urgent referral and someone from the mental health team visited a week later to take some initial details, and it helped that they could see for themselves how bad things were. Then a doctor from the team visited about a week later to discuss the situation and prescribed the medication, with a follow up visit booked for 3 weeks time to see how Mum is doing. (Mum had been 'signed-off' from the memory clinic a couple of years ago after 2 visits so I guess that's why the GP went straight to the mental health team, which has probably made things a bit quicker)