Ruskin – Dementia Assessment and Treatment Unit – CNTW233

Ruskin is an inpatient dementia assessment and treatment unit based at the Carleton Clinic in Carlisle. Ruskin has 15 beds  and  aims to provide a comprehensive and holistic assessment of the older person’s physical, psychological, behavioural, social and spiritual needs through validated assessment tools and multidisciplinary working. Its aims are:

• To provide admission and multidisciplinary assessment of people with an organic mental illness with acute problematic behaviours and which includes people with a learning disability
• To offer appropriate assessment, treatment and management of people with an organic mental illness, maintaining personal and social competence and encouraging recovery and independence where able
• To assist in the assessment, identification and diagnoses of mental health problems within the older population of Cumbria
• To work alongside other departments within Trust, Adult Social Care and Acute Trust as well as other agencies to enhance care
• To ensure all other options of help have been offered within the community, making admission a last resort
• To provide a timely discharge to a placement suitable to meet the needs of the patient once they are deemed fit for discharge
• To provide carer assessments and offer support, education and guidance when required.

Who is Ruskin for?

Ruskin is for older adults with an organic illness, such as dementia.

How can I get referred?

The service is accessed through your GP or Cumbria Health On Call (CHoC) service (out of hours) who will refer to the Older Adults Memory and Later Life Service. They will arrange to meet, assess the your needs and establish what support can be offered. The unit takes referrals from across the county.