Aged Care & Rehabilitation Service (ACARS)

The Aged Care and Rehabilitation Service (ACARS) is based in Camden Hospital.

ACARS Medical Staff:

	Dr Martin Low (Director) MBBS, FAFRM (RACP). Medical Director, Aged Care and Rehabilitation Service, Senior Staff Specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine (0.8 FTE) Other appointments: (Conjoint senior lecturer, School of Medicine. University of Western Sydney); Court of Examiners, Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine Clinical Interests: Geriatric Rehabilitation, Advance care directives, Transitional Aged Care Professional Memberships: International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics, Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicince

	Dr Tuan-Anh Nguyen BSc (Med) MBBS (Hons) FAFRM (RACP) Staff Specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine (0.8 FTE), and Accredited Medicare S100 prescriber for Botulinum toxin program Other appointments: Conjoint lecturer, School of Medicine. University of Western Sydney Clinical Interests: Neuro-rehabilitation, Spasticity Management, Geriatrics Rehabilitation, Musculoskeletal medicine Research Interests: Outcomes in stroke rehabilitation, Spasticity management, Vitamin D supplementation Teaching Interests: Supervisor for Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine registrar training program, clinical supervisor for UWS Medical Student clinical rotations
	Dr Mark Dubossarsky BSc (Med) MBBS (Hons) FAFRM (RACP). Staff Specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine Other Appointments: Conjoint Lecturer, School Of Medicine, University of Western Sydney Clinical and Research interests: Vitamin D and Chronic Pain Management, Involved with the Orthotics and Prosthetics services in the area Teaching Interests: Clinical supervisor for UWS Medical Student clinical rotations
	Dr Cameron Ly MBBS (Usyd), MM(RES), FAFRM (RACP) Staff Specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine and Ambulatory Care (0.5 FTE) Other appointments: Head, Department of Adolescent Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Conjoint Lecturer, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University. Clinical Memberships: Executive Member of ACI Young People with Chronic Disability Clinical and Research Interests: Spina Bifida, Adolescent and Transition Medicine, Ambulatory Care, Chronic pain management.

	Dr. Mohammad Ilyas MBBS (Dhaka), FRACP Staff Specialist in Geriatric Medicine. Other appointments: Conjoint Lecturer, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University. Previous Appointments: Ex-Medical Officer, Health Ministry of Iran Clinical Interests: Dementia, Chronic Pain Management & Management of Cardiac Arrhythmia in the Elderly.

ACARS inpatient services include:

Camden Rehabilitation Unit (CRU) lower ground floor
The CRU is a 20 bed general rehabilitation ward which services the Macarthur area (Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly council areas) but may also include patients from the Southern Highlands (Wingecarribee) as they have no specialist public rehabilitation facility.
Nurse Unit Manager – Brian Lane

Phone: 4654 6337 or 46546336
Fax: 4654 6311

Medical Transit Unit (MTU) – second floor
The MTU is a 20 bed transitional care unit which services the Macarthur area. Patients are admitted here mainly from Campbelltown and occasionally other hospitals while they are being assessed for residential care placement or for possible inpatient rehabilitation. The aim is to co-locate post-acute patients who for various reasons may require special help in moving them out of hospital back into the community.

Nurse Unit Manager – Kerry Walton

Phone 4654 6262
Fax 4654 6260

ACARS outpatient services include:

Outpatient Clinics - Located on lower ground floor Camden Hospital

Rehabilitation Medicine Clinics
Geriatric Medicine Clinics
Amputee Clinic
Orthotics Clinic
Spasticity Clinic
Spina Bifida Clinic

Telephone: (02) 4654 6322 Fax: (02) 4654 6486

All medical referrals via the outpatient clinics contact numbers

Other Outpatient and Community Services

Aged Care Assessment Team
Specialist Aged Care Team
Physical Disability Service
Specialist Mental Health Services for Older Persons (SMHSOP)

Reception Phone: (02) 4654 6322

All other community referrals including day care and respite services via the Triple I Hub (Information, Intake and Intervention)

Phone: 1800 455 511 Fax: 4654 8799

8am - 6pm weekdays
8am - 4pm weekend

Specialist Mental Health Services for Older Persons (SMHSOP)

The Macarthur/Wingecarribee Specialist Mental Health Service for Older Persons (SMHSOP) provides a community-based service to older people with Dementia [or cognitive impairment] who are experiencing behavioural and/or psychiatric disturbance.

“Older people” are defined as people who are aged 65 years or over. If of Aboriginal decent 50 years or over.

The “psychiatric disturbance” may include: major depression, severe physical or verbal aggression, agitation, screaming or psychosis [hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder].

Patients over 65 years living in a Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) who experience “psychiatric disturbance” may be referred to this service regardless of whether or not they have cognitive impairment.

The families and carers of these older people are also part of the target group.

Health professionals include: Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Registered Nurses and Mental Health Workers.

The process of referrals to the SMHSOP is via the Mental Health Line (MHTAL) on 1800 011 511 which operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week. All referrals must have General Practitioner involvement and must be made, in writing, by a medical officer. All referral letters, relevant information and pathology to be faxed to service.

Phone: (02) 4654 6342
Fax: (02) 4654 6348

Community consultation liaison model applied.

The SMHSOP health professionals offer comprehensive mental health assessments, linkage to aged care services and mental health services, advice on management to the referrer and care planning in close consultation with the patient’s family/carers.