A new service in the intermediate care of older adults with mental health problems.

This article describes the a new multidisciplinary, nurse-led service for older adults with mental health problems, the Home Treatment Team (HTT) which has just begun in the Older Adults Directorate of Central and North West London Mental Health Trust (CNWL). The team aims to provide mental health care and treatment in the home for adults aged over 65, offering an alternative to hospital admission and facilitating early discharge. These functions place the service in the intermediate care category (Department of Health (DH) 2001), an area which is not well documented in the care of older people with mental health needs.