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Community Aged Care & Rehabilitation Service (CAReS) - Ryde Hospital

Level 1 - Graythwaite Rehabilitation Centre
37 Fourth Avenue

Eastwood

2122

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Community Aged Care & Rehabilitation Service (CAReS) - Ryde Hospital

Contact us

General enquiries:

  • Phone: (02) 9858 7411 

Referrals: 

We accept eReferrals from GPs via HealthLink. For more information go to: Electronic Referrals for Outpatient Clinics​ - Northern Sydney Local Health District (nsw.gov.au) 

Opening hours

Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 16:30

 What we do

At CAReS, we provide multidisciplinary assessment and management of ageing with a range of programs to improve quality of life, reverse frailty, prevent hospitalisation and allow individuals to live in the community with appropriate support. We deliver our services at the home or in an outpatient setting. Our services include:

  • Comprehensive assessments to determine your eligibility for our programs
  • Personalised programs to help you achieve your goals
  • Access to a range of aged care professionals
  • Assistance in taking charge of your health

 

Geriatric Clinic

  • Promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults
  • Geriatrician consultations
  • Dementia screening
  • Falls management service
  • Urgent home visits
  • Frailty Assessments
  • Family and case conference
  • Pre-aquatic physiotherapy assessments

 

Nutrition and Dietetics

  • Optimising nutritional intake for health and wellbeing. 
  • Community based assessment and management of nutrition related issues including Frailty/Malnutrition, enteral feeding, gastrointestinal issues, chronic conditions and weight management. 
  • Training and education for family/carers.

 

Occupational Therapy

  • Adapting the environment, modifying the task and providing education to enhance performance of daily activities
  • Improve wound healing by assessing and prescribing appropriate equipment for those with or at high risk of pressure injuries and providing pressure injury prevention education to clients and their carers
  • Community: visits to assist in maximising independence in daily living activities, home modifications and equipment prescription
  • Outpatients: rehabilitation to promote independence in activities of daily living and falls prevention through functional exercises 

 

Physiotherapy 

  • Promotion of mobility, functional ability, quality of life, and movement.
  • Mobility assessments
  • Walking aid recommendations
  • Falls prevention strategies
  • Exercise prescription
  • Balance and falls prevention groups
  • LSVT BIG® Treatments
  • Aquatic Physiotherapy

 

Aquatic Physiotherapy


Aquatic physiotherapy is conducted in a heated pool by a specifically trained physiotherapist. Aquatic physiotherapy can: 

  • Improve balance  
  • Strengthen muscles 
  • Improve general fitness 
  • Mobilise joints 
  • Relieve pain and reduce muscle spasm 
  • Promote relaxation 
  • Develop water confidence 
  • Decrease swelling 

 

Social Work

  • Preservation and enhancement of social functioning and wellbeing
  • Completion of Psychosocial assessments to set collaborative goals with clients
  • Support with the psychosocial impacts of adjustment to illness
  • Support with service coordination of government and non-government services
  • Advocacy and support for vulnerable or at-risk older persons
  • Carer support by connecting carers with carer specific services
  • Support with clients experiencing social isolation and loneliness
  • Support with future planning 

 

Speech Pathology

  • Evaluation and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders.
  • Outpatients & community visits
  • Assessment and management of swallowing disorders
  • Assessment and management of communication disorders, including: language, speech, voice, fluency and alternative communication

 

Program

 Includes

Referral accepted when

Referral not accepted when

Parkinson’s Program

 

A specialised service in the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease

 

 

 

 

  • Comprehensive Medical assessment
  • Multidisciplinary input according to individual goals/needs
  • Tailored to individual needs
  • Case conferencing
  • Lee Silverman Voice Treatments® (LSVT LOUD®)
  • LSVT BIG® Treatments
  • Parkinson’s group treatment

 

 

 

  • People diagnosed with early Parkinsons’ disease +/- Parkinsonism
  • GP/Neurologist referral is received

 

 

 

  • Client has moderate/advanced Parkinson’s disease
  • Significant cognitive impairment

 

Consider referral through My Aged Care for home/community based allied health intervention

Falls Prevention Program (Balance Group)

For clients who are at risk of falls or have a fear of falling

 

 

 

 

  • 7-week group functional exercise and falls prevention education program
  • Multidisciplinary intervention

 

 

 

 

 

  • Client can participate in group treatment
  • GP e-referral or through My Aged Care
  • Needs dietitian code through My Aged Care

 

 

 

 

  •  Significant cognitive impairment
  • Those who cannot manage a group circuit-based therapy environment

 

Consider referral through My Aged Care for home/community based allied health intervention

 

Frailty

Targeting weakness, fatigue, decreased mobility and weight loss

 

 

  • Twice weekly for 6 week group treatment program using progressive resistance equipment.
  • PT and dietitian (individual) intervention provided

 

 

  • GP e-referral or through My Aged Care
  • Other Clinician referral
  • Needs dietitian code through My Aged Care

 

 

 

  • Significant cognitive impairment

 

Consider referral through My Aged Care for home/community based allied health intervention

 

 

Hospital Avoidance

 

 

 

 

Providing assessment and intervention to prevent hospital admission and supporting early discharge from hospital

 

 

 

  • Current pressure injury or at high risk of developing a pressure injury
  • Swallowing difficulties or at risk of aspiration pneumonia
  • Multiple falls
  • Recent hospitalisation for Aged related issues (i.e. fall with fracture)
  • Vulnerable, at-risk clients

 

 

 

Recent discharges from a rehabilitation facility/service where clients have had access to allied health will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for one month following discharge from facility/service.

Wellness and Reablement

 

 

 

 

Individual allied health intervention to assist you to stay healthy and well in your home

 

 

 

 

Requires referral through My Aged Care

 

 

 

If the client is on a Level 3 or 4 Home Care Package

Aquatic Physiotherapy

 

Twice weekly, 4-week water based exercise program

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Physiotherapy led
  • Group based treatment
  • One off program with on-referral to appropriate Healthy Lifestyle programs

 

 

 

 

GP referral to Ryde Geriatric clinic for Aquatic physiotherapy clearance

 

 

 

Client has completed the CAReS aquatic physiotherapy program before (unless you have had a new surgical intervention)

 

Client has not had aquatic clearance

 

 What to bring

When booking your appointment, you will be advised what will be required.


Some clinicians may request:

  • Images / scans       
  • Test results   
  • List of current medications  
  • Past medical history

 When to visit us

Your GP or non-GP specialist is always your first step in seeking treatment for any condition. You will be referred to our service if your treating doctor feels that your treatment requires our input. Once we receive the referral it will be reviewed by a clinician and you will be notified of the outcome and next steps.


If you have a scheduled appointment and have opted in for them, you will receive a reminder text message. 


Please allow a few hours for your appointment. Some patients require a longer review and delays can occur.

 How to visit us

Turn off Blaxland Road onto Florence Avenue then turn right onto Denistone Road. Both the main entrance and emergency department are located here.

 

If you do not have access to your own vehicle, you can contact Stryder on 9816 5000 to arrange transport.

If visiting via public transport, take a train to Eastwood Station then take the 515 bus route from Eastwood Station, West Pde, Stand A, ride four stops, get off at Fourth Ave opp Ryde Medical Centre, and cross the road to find Graythwaite Rehabilitation Centre.
 

There are a limited amount of free disability and outpatient visitor parking spots available on-site during hospital redevelopment construction. Please consider being dropped off. There are drop off zones at the main entrance off Denistone Road and in front of Graythwaite Rehabilitation Centre off Fourth Avenue. Alternatively allow for additional time to find on street parking.

The Community Aged Care and Rehabilitation Service (CAReS) is located on Level 1. When you arrive at the front entrance, press the green button to enter then take the lift or stairs to greet a member of our staff at the reception desk. 

 Referral information

To ensure that our resources are directed towards those in most need we have a selection criteria to determine what problems can be seen in our clinic. The below information is mainly for GPs and other referring clinicians. 

 

Referral Criteria


We can take on clients who:

  • Are over 65 years old (over 50 years old for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander clients)
  • Live in the Ryde City Council or the Council of the Municipality of Hunters Hill areas
  • Are under the age of 65 if the client’s needs can’t be met by a specialised provider. We may accept clients of this nature on an individual basis

 

We can’t take on clients who:

  • Don’t meet the eligibility criteria stated above 
  • Have needs that are best met under a specific program (i.e. NDIS recipients, palliative care)
  • Are receiving a level 3 or 4 home care package. However, clients with a high risk of pressure injuries or risk of avoidable hospital admissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis
  • Are already accessing a similar service through another program i.e. already accessing a private rehabilitation service or community-based therapy program
  • Currently reside in a residential aged care facility.
  • Have previously participated in a CAReS program and have not seen a change in their circumstances that warrants being reconsidered for the same program
  • Have rehabilitation goals that exceed their functional ability to achieve their desired outcome 
  • Require intensive therapy to achieve their desired goal, exceeding the CAReS scope of practice

 

Referral Process

 

There may be different referral requirements depending on the program you would like to access.

  • Contact My Aged Care  – required for Dietetics, community access Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Home Safety Assessments 
  • We accept e-referrals from GPs via HealthLink 
  • Other health clinicians can refer to our service i.e. community nursing, allied health clinicians
  • Other medical specialists can refer to us
  • Refer yourself if none of the above referral pathways are applicable to your situation

 

Please contact us if you need help with making a referral


Providing more information will aid the triage process and make it more likely that your patient will be seen in the most timely manner possible.


Referrals will be triaged and your patient will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible. This process may take between 1-4 weeks. You will be contacted if more information is needed.  
 

 Other information

 Related links