FUDGES Project
Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service
Abstract
FUDGES: 'Follow Up Discharge General Enquiry Support' is a unique mental health consumer initiated project which provides assistance, understanding and support to mental health patients during their first 4-6 weeks post discharge from hospital.
Consumer advocates are aware of the documented evidence of a high incidence of suicide in the first four to six weeks post discharge from a mental health inpatient unit and had experienced the depression and isolation that often occurs at this time. The FUDGES project aims to address this problem.
Consumer advocates maintain telephone contact twice weekly with patients who consent to follow up. Calls are non-clinical and provide peer support. An operations manual was developed and The participating advocates have received specialised training.
The Project is introduced to patients by the consumer advocates during their regular weekly visits to the inpatient unit.
Outcomes to date have been very positive and the project is continuing into its second year. 100% of the consumers who participated indicated that they would recommend the project to others.
Simple phone calls can have a positive impact on people -
for both the callers and the persons called,
often sharing stories and experiences.
About the Team
We are members of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Mental Health Service located at Hornsby Hospital in northern Sydney NSW. The mental health service has
- Adult Inpatient Unit
- Mental Health Intensive Care Unit
- Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre
- Early Psychosis Intervention Service
- Assertive Outreach Residential Service
- Community based Rehabilitation Service
- An Acute Care Team
- Specialist Mental Health Service for Older People
- Consumer Participation Network
Method
We identified the value of peer support post discharge and developed the telephone support service FUDGES - Follow Up Discharge General Enquiry Support.
This involved:
- Development of an Operations Manual (
pdf - 144 KB) - Identification and provision of appropriate training
- Selection of advocates to participate in the project
- Identification of a clinical pathway referral when and if required
- Developed self referral and reporting forms
The project commenced in May 2006 and was reviewed after six months and has continued to grow since then.
Results
- 100% of clients were happy with the service.
- Initially calls were to be made for the first 4-6 weeks post discharge - many requested calls to be made for longer.
- There were only five readmissions to hospital.
- There were no suicides from those on the project.
Issues encountered
- Talking to someone who was really unwell and knowing they needed admission.
- The need to keep confidential all that is said during the calls.
- Earlier in the project some people confused our role with an "emergency" service.
- Public holidays and long weekends posed a problem as the calls were initially made on Mondays and Fridays.
Learnings
- Working hours needed to be explained as the advocates work part time and the office is not manned full time and are not available on weekends.
- Participants need to be given the phone numbers for crisis or emergency situations - week day or weekend at any hour.
- The advocates can leave a message on answering machines - people have said it was nice to come home and hear that someone is thinking of them.
- Feedback from both staff and consumers has been so positive.
- Simple phone calls can have a positive impact on people - for both the callers and the persons called, often sharing stories and experiences.
Resources
Contact
Consumer Co-ordinator,Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Mental Health
Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service
Phone: 02 9477 9705
