Journal 2-2 final draft on line.qxd

Advancing Practice in Bedfordshire 2005: 2 (2)
ISSN 1743-1611 (On-Line)
Acute In-Patient Mental Health: moving forward in a local unit -
Townsend Court
Paul Wrake DipHE (Nursing), RN(MH)
Unit Manager
Bedfordshire & Luton Partnership NHS Trust
PRACTICE
Townsend Court is a demanding, ever evolving Acute In-patient Unit, DEVELOPMENT always facing the new challenges placed upon it. Three of its twenty
five beds are dedicated to substance misuse - drug and alcohol detoxification programmes. An outpatient clozapine clinic is also runfrom the unit. Townsend Court serves the catchment areas ofDunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and all the surroundingvillages of Luton.
Townsend Court: Acute mental health unit
Advancing Practice in Bedfordshire 2005: 2 (2)
The Unit welcomed the visit at the end of and Heath & Safety Executive (HSE), and was fortunate enough to have been Community Mental Health Nurse,highlighted and praised in the recent found that the experience of service users bringing an extensive wealth of knowledge, Court. The unit is used to the many visitors it receives, and was the first to receive an Appreciation, Sports, Quiz, Creative Writing, also nominated to host the recent national Arts & Crafts, Relaxation, Cooking, Yoga, 'Think Clean Day'. It is always so Community, Art Therapy and Goal Planningencouraging for the dedicated groups. For the creative person a range of multi-disciplinary team to receive the art materials are available, and for thosecomplimentary letters such as after the visit who enjoy sports, a pool table, table tennis, exercise bike, badminton, board and cardgames are available for use outside of the structured groups. In the very near future a lively and enthusiastic Stakeholders Group, personal computer and printer will be made and one of the first to be chaired by a carer.
Advocacy Worker being actively involved.
The Rethink worker then holds an establish a Medication Management Groupadditional bi-weekly patient meeting as an independent forum. Any issues raised that experience. John Butler also meets with the require action are then fed back to the Unit newly established Practice DevelopmentGroup (PDG).
A long awaited and greatly needed day carefacility has been set up, and is now fully operational. The day care facility provides shop twice a week at Townsend Court. This structured therapy programme. This facility spirit and provides an invaluable service of is aimed at providing that additional support Christian Church provide a weekly 'Time to Reflect' group on the unit. Quiet rooms aremade available for individual prayer and a Townsend Court '7 Day In-Patient & DayCare Therapeutic Programme' (see Tables 1 & 2). This therapeutic programme is tirelessly to provide a totally first class Advancing Practice in Bedfordshire 2005: 2 (2)
ISSN 1743-1611 (On-Line)
patient experience from the day of information pack that is carefully admission through to discharge. Patients, individualised for each patient's care, which carers and visitors are warmly welcomed by the patient can receive at anytime from the the hospitality nurse - a new role that was time of admission through to the point of developed within the last year. This vital role discharge. Discharge questionnaires andcomment cards are freely available and contributes to a reduction in the patient's regularly used, providing valuable feedback anxiety levels and promotes good customer The named nurse and patient work closelytogether to devise a comprehensive Table 1: In-Patient & Day Care
Programme - part 1
11.00 - 12noon
9.30 - 10.00
9.30 - 10.00
AM Goal Planning Group Gardening Group
Exercise Group (OT)
10.30 - 11.30
10.30 - 11.30
Current Affairs (OT)
available throughout the Art Therapy (OT)
week outside of
Occupational Therapy
Meal Prep (OT)
13.30 - 14.30
13.30 - 14.30
13.30 - 14.30
PM Sports Group (In reach Creative Writing (OT) Life Skills (OT)
15.00 - 16.00
15.00 - 15.30
Relaxation Group (OT) Relaxation (OT)
13.30 - 14.30
Art Therapy (Art
Therapist)
15.00 - 16.00
Quiz (OT)
Advancing Practice in Bedfordshire 2005: 2 (2)
Table 2: In-Patient & Day Care Programme - part 2
9.30 - 10.30
10.30 - 11.30
10.30 - 11.30
10.30 - 11.30
Patient Meeting
Yoga (OT)
Ward Round
Music Group
Preparation Group (Nurse / Clinical
10.00 - 11.45
Community Group
10.30 - 11.30
Music
Appreciation (In
reach CMHN &
Nurse)
10.30 - 11.45
Medication
Management
(Nurse x 2)
12noon - 13.30
15.00 - 16.00
15.00 - 16.00
15.00 - 16.00
Cooking (OT)
Art & Craft (OT)
Games Group
Games Group
13.30 - 14.30
Expressive Art
(OT)
16.30 - 17.30
16.30 - 17.30
Music Group /
Music Group /
15.00 - 16.45
Relaxation (Nurse Relaxation (Nurse
Healthy Living

Source: http://advancingpractice.co.uk/2(2)%20acute%20in-patient%20mental%20health.pdf