Your stay

Admission Process

1. GP Referral

You will need to make an appointment with you GP and ask them to send a referral to our clinic outlining the clinical need for either admission, day programs or the outpatient clinic.
If you have a referral to our clinic or our psychiatrists within the last 12 months, then you will not need another one.

2. Eligibility Check

This is a brief introductory phone call to let you know that we have received the referral, to discuss some of the details in that referral and check your insurance details.
We will discuss the referral with our treating doctors.

3. Assessment

We will likely need to call for further information from you about your symptoms and circumstances related to your admission.

4. Admission

After the decision has been made by the treating doctor that an admission is required, we will contact you to arrange an admission date and time.
An email will be sent to you will all the details you will need.
You will need to complete the Online Admission Form prior to arrival so that everything is ready for your admission.

On arrival

You will be greeted by staff and asked to complete a small amount of administrative paperwork.

If your private health cover requires you to pay an excess or co-payment, this will be required on admission.

You will also need to a sign some important documents confirming your acknowledgment of relevant Ramsay Clinic Caloundra policies as well as reinforcing our commitment to you in providing a safe and secure environment for patients, staff and visitors:

We want our hospitals to be safe, private places where people feel comfortable, well cared for and respected. That’s why we request certain standards of behaviour from all our visitors, patients and staff. Thank you for understanding of our Expectations on Entry.

Nursing staff will check your belongings for unsafe items such as razors or mirrors and will remove these items for secure storage.

Orientation

Our Clinic staff will show you to your room and give you an orientation of the Clinic. For security and safety reasons, staff will also collect all medications and prescriptions you have brought in, to hand over to nursing staff. (You may be required to transfer to another room or different Unit during your stay.)

Unit nursing staff will introduce themselves and explain routines relevant to your treatment and conduct a general admission assessment with you. This assessment - in conjunction with your treating Psychiatrist - will provide the basis for your admission care plan during your stay.

The Nurse Unit Manager will call in to see you to ensure you have everything you need. Their primary role is to coordinate your treatment plan and the multi-disciplinary treatment team.

The first days of your admission are usually spent familiarising yourself with your new surroundings and starting to build a therapeutic rapport with your treating team and Unit staff.

Your admitting doctor and the ward medical officer will review you following your admission.

Nursing staff will complete a Treatment Recovery Care Plan with you and your carer (if applicable), this will be reviewed minimally on a weekly basis.

During your stay

Your psychiatrist will assess and review your treatment and progress:

Assessment of your current and past mental health
Provide a diagnosis
Review and prescribe medications; and other treatments (eg TMS)
Provide clinical governance and management of your inpatient care
Provide continuation of care in the community with outpatient appointments at their clinic

To maximise the benefit of your inpatient stay, you are required to attend the various psychotherapy groups that have been designed to address both mental health and alcohol and drug related issues. Groups are provided daily for at least 3 hours giving you the opportunity to:

Understand mental health illnesses
Recognise symptoms so that in future, assistance can be sought earlier
Learn strategies to manage symptoms of mental health illnesses
Share and learn from others with shared experiences
Gain constructive feedback from supportive staff and peers

Facilities overview

Patients have their own room with ensuite. There are group meeting rooms and dining facilities.

We have a laundrette with washers and dryers and provide washing baskets, washing powder, iron and ironing board for you to use as required.

A communal lounge area with large TV allows you to watch TV with other patients. There are also courtyard areas where you can enjoy the gardens and some quiet time.

Housekeeping staff will clean your suite daily. Clean bed linen will be supplied weekly or as required. Clients are encouraged to make their own bed each day and to keep their suite in an orderly state to reduce the possibility of injury to staff. Fresh towels are available upon request.

Dining and Activities

We offer quality meals prepared a great team of chefs, and a dining area offering indoor and outdoor seating.

Our Sensory Room is a lowly lit room with massage chair and utilises a variety of different sensory experiences to help reduce distressing emotions. These sensory experiences can be used to relieve the discomfort associated with emotions such as anger, anxiety, panic, extreme sadness and more. This will then equip you with strategies you can utilise in your own home. To access this, you will be assessed by one of our trained clinicians.

There is an art room for recreation. Although we stock some art materials, we recommend you bring your own - especially if you have particular equipment requirements.

We have a gymnasium and personal trainer who conducts exercise programs and is available to discuss any personal needs you might have regarding exercise. They can provide a personalised exercise program for you to use at home. We encourage patients to use the gym for self-directed exercise.

General information

The Clinic is located in a residential area. Please be considerate when outside, particularly in the evenings, and keep noise to a minimum.

Please note, in accordance with Ramsay Health Care policy and National Safety Priorities in Mental Health, overnight leave cannot be granted under any circumstance. Patients are not permitted day leave except to attend medical appointments.

The Clinic is a smoke-free campus.

The Private Patients Hospital Charter is available to everyone in the health care system. It allows patients, consumers, families, carers and providers to share an understanding of the rights of people receiving health care.

Patients are not permitted to drive a vehicle while an inpatient. If your vehicle cannot be returned home by a relative or friend, please hand your keys to nursing staff who will secure them for the duration of your stay. You will be required to sign a form agreeing to these conditions.

Please note that you will receive a pharmacy account for pharmacy items that you may require during your stay that are non-admission related medications to your psychiatric admission (eg, medications that were being taken prior to the current admission) as they are not covered by Private Health Insurance.

Aside from the pharmacy account you may receive additional accounts from your Doctor or Pathology services, which may be claimable from Medicare or your Private Health Insurance fund. If you do not have health insurance the Intake Co-ordinator will be able to advise you of the estimated costs.