Older people

IOPS in Great Yarmouth and Waveney can help people who are suffering from acute, severe and enduring mental health problems including anxiety, depression, psychosis, confusion, dementia and related behavioural problems. The service’s specific function is to provide assessment, intensive support and treatment at service user’s homes to prevent unnecessary hospital admission. Our team works alongside other health, social care and voluntary sector teams to: 

• help promote independence and re-enablement

• to provide practical support

• advice and signposting to patients and their carers

• to promote wellbeing and guidance on accessing local services for local people. 

Our team responds to emergency referrals in 4 hours and urgent referrals in 72 hours if people have the problems mentioned above.  

Once a referral is forwarded to IOPS in Great Yarmouth and Waveney the team will organise a time and date to meet with the referred person. At this session an assessment is undertaken. From this assessment a plan of action is agreed. This may be advice and signposting, or the individual may be taken on by the team for specific intensive support to help with their mental health issue. Interventions could include:  

• Assessment and diagnosis of mental health problems

• Risk assessment and risk management

• Monitoring of mental health difficulties and agreed treatment plans.  

Interventions and support from IOPS in Great Yarmouth and Waveney are time limited to around six weeks of intensive support. Our team may then discharge service users from care or make onward referrals to either social services or community mental health teams.