Care of the elderly
Geriatrics
The Geriatrics Clinical Group provides specialist geriatric care as well as general medical care to frail and elderly patients admitted to King George and Queen’s hospitals. In addition to providing clinics and proactive comprehensive Geriatric assessments at St George’s Ageing Well Centre and Hospital at Home care in the community through our Frailty Virtual Ward team.
We provide specialist outpatient clinics for
- Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment
- Falls
- Dementia and delirium
- Memory
- Orthogeriatric
Our memory service liaises closely with voluntary agencies such as Age UK.
Reception
Queen’s Hospital Frailty Unit Reception on 01708 504 220
King George Hospital Beech Frailty Unit Reception on 01708 435000 / 8612 or 8104
St George’s Ageing Well Centre Reception on 01708 435000 / 8875 or 8871
Frailty Virtual Ward – 01708 435000 / 8884 (StG) / 2244/3249 (QH)
What types of treatments are available?
Comprehensive geriatric assessment and care is provided across our sites by our consultants supported by a multidisciplinary team of dedicated and experienced nurses, therapists and pharmacists in collaboration with other hospital teams and external organisations including NELFT and Adult Social Care.
During a patient stay there is great emphasis on prompt diagnosis and multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Maintaining dignity and individual privacy is extremely important and experienced therapy staff work closely with the medical staff to achieve this.
Queen’s Hospital: Services include the Queen’s Frailty Unit (QFU) and Frailty Same Day Emergency Care(FSDEC) which provide a short stay timely assessment and intervention supporting admission avoidance where appropriate. The Frail Older Persons Advice and Liaison Service (FOPALS) enhances care by offering treatment and advice to frail and elderly patients in the Emergency Department (ED). In addition, the Orthogeriatrics and POPs teams provide specialist care for elderly patients both before and after surgery. There are four wards dedicated to inpatient care: Mandarin A&B and Clementine A&B.
King George Hospital: Services include Beech Frailty Unit providing a short stay timely assessment and intervention. There is also a FOPALS team based here to support in ED in addition to three wards providing inpatient care: Fern, Gentian and Holly.
St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub is home to the Ageing Well Centre which provides care for elderly residents across our communities, helping to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital admissions, and through earlier diagnosis prevent deterioration and other health conditions. In addition, the centre offers urgent assessment appointments for those needing more intensive care.
Frailty Virtual Ward/Hospital at Home: We have a dedicated team of Advanced Clinical Practitioners, doctors, nurses, therapists, pharmacists and a social worker providing care to patients at home in the community.
Frailty Line : Healthcare professionals can call Frailty Line to speak with one of our Consultants who are able to provide urgent advice or access urgent assessment of a patient in the Ageing Well Centre or the Hospital at Home/Frailty Virtual Ward'