EPP (Expert Patients Programme)
The Expert Patients Programme (EPP) is a free course for anyone living with one, or more, long-term health condition in Croydon. The six-week course is designed to boost your health and wellbeing, find solutions to common problems and help you feel more confident to manage your condition.
The Expert Patients Programme complements the care and support you already receive from healthcare professionals and will make you aware of other services and resources available in your area.
Weekly sessions cover a range of topics including:
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Managing symptoms
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Dealing with pain and tiredness
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Coping with feelings of depression and anxiety
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Healthy eating
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Exercise
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Managing stress
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Planning for the future
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Communicating with family, friends and health care
professionals -
Finding other health services in the community
Care Home Connector
The Care Home Connector Service (CHC) was established in June 2022 and is a partnership between Asian Resource Centre Croydon and the Age UK Croydon. The service is run by a small, dedicated team and provides a valuable link between care homes, residents, and their families to the support and services that are available in the local community enabling them to become more connected, less isolated, and more informed.
In 2023, CHC supported 158 care home residents from over 50 care homes and carried out over 800 visits to residents across Croydon borough. The team made significant strides to build meaningful connections between residents and various services. They also made links to enriching activities such as the BRIT School, London Mozart Players, and the Museum of Croydon's “Object Handling “ project.
The team makes referrals to the Befriending service at Age UK Croydon which matches residents to a Befriending volunteer who spends an hour a week visiting a resident often leading to lasting friendships. Engaging in regular conversations with Befrienders has been shown to positively impact residents' mental well-being, helping to alleviate the feelings of loneliness.
How Care Home Connector helps
CHC works closely with Care Home teams alongside health and social care services, community, and voluntary sector groups. Connectors develop good communication between all those involved in residents’ care following up on actions and providing information on support or activities which are available in the local area.
At the initial assessment, the Care Home Connectors team will find out what is important to the resident, establish goals, and create an action plan. With their agreement, the team can make onward referrals or signpost to other organisations who may also be able to support them.
The CHC has a holistic approach to care and supports different aspects of lives. The action plan is centered around the individual, emphasising their specific needs. The team collaborates with relevant parties engaged in the resident’s care, as well as coordinating with various services and activities available in the borough.
Contact Us
For further details please contact
Natalie Appiah (Care Home Connector)
natalie.appiah@arccltd.com
07360 208 846
OR
Shahana Kalam (Care Home Connector)
shahana.kalam@arccltd.com
07510 103 515
Who can make a referral to our service?
The service is available to all adults residing in a Care Home, who meet the eligibility criteria for the service below:
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Adults registered with a Croydon GP and residing in a Care Home
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Adults requiring access to multi-professional working as identified by GPs, PCNs, Care home staff, locality teams, and other Care Home professionals.
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Care Home residents and families requiring support with coordination of care, navigation through services, and signposting to community support.
How to access our service?
If you would like to be referred to the CHC service, please speak to a care home staff member, GP, or other professionals involved in your care and support. With your consent, they can then refer you to the CHC team.
You can also speak to a member of the Care Home Connector team directly using the contact information below.