The team offers assessments and interventions for adults with age related needs (not exclusively people over the age of 75) suffering from acute, severe and enduring mental health problems including anxiety, depression, psychosis, confusion, dementia (any age) and related behavioural problems.

The team specifically respond to emergency (four hourly) and urgent (120 hourly) referrals of patients with the above presentation, that are either not active to the Trust or are no longer active to the community mental health teams.

The team provide interventions working alongside other teams and organisations. The team's specific functions are to provide intensive support to prevent admission to the Trust acute assessment wards.

We also accept referrals from community mental health teams for their patients requiring intensive support. We also provide an 'in-reach' service for patients with dementia that are referred from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.     

• Download our service information leaflet

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All emergency and urgent referrals come through the Single Point of Access Team.

Patients who are already supported by community teams can also be referred by their care co-ordinator.

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Once a referral is passed to the Intensive Older Peoples Support team, duty workers will triage the referral for further and information and suitability for the service. The team will then organise a time and date to assess the referred person.

From this assessment, a plan of action will be agreed with the person. Some referrals are assessed and do not necessarily require intensive support, so are signposted to relevant services. For those accepted, interventions may include:

• Assessment and diagnosis of mental health problems
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Monitoring of mental health difficulties and agreed treatment plans
• Therapeutic interventions including; provision of personal care in support of care packages and care homes

Interventions and support from the team are time limited to around six weeks of intensive support. The DIST may then discharge you from care or make onward referrals to either social services or community mental health teams. 

​St Andrew's Lodge

The Julian Hospital

Bowthorpe Road

Norwich

NR2 3TD 

​Call us on 01603 978380. These are not referral lines.  

All mental health conditions, dementia and behavioural/psychological symptoms of dementia. 

​We offer advice, individual support and information for carers. We also run carers groups. 

Katherine Roper de Leake, Independent Nurse Prescriber 

• 999 Emergency services
• 111 GP (out of hours)
• Social Services EDT 0344 800 8020 (out of hours)
• Download our emergency contact information leaflet