Referrers

Partnering with clinicians and services to provide specialist ARBD and Korsakoff care. If you are a GP, hospital discharge planner, mental health team, alcohol‐care team or social care assessor, Vane Hill ARBD Care Home in Torquay is here to accept referrals for individuals needing supported residential care. We offer specialist assessment, structured rehab and life-skills enablement in ARBD and long-term memory support for Korsakoff’s syndrome, balancing clinical safety with daily dignity and independence.

Specialist ARBD Care in a Residential Setting

Vane Hill is a specialist residential ARBD Care home, dedicated to delivering high quality support for adults living with Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (ARBD), including Korsakoff’s syndrome. With over 30 years’ experience, Vane Hill combines clinical oversight, rehabilitative therapies, and a 3-Step Enablement Programme designed to help residents regain daily living skills, reduce risk and where possible, live more independently. Located in twin Victorian houses with views over Torbay and equipped for both lower and higher dependency residents, Vane Hill accepts referrals from health and social care professionals seeking a safe, supportive and enabling environment.

To Make a Referral

Vane Hill offers a flexible and responsive approach to both long and short-term placements. Our team is experienced in supporting adults in need of ARBD care, including Korsakoff’s Syndrome.

We work closely with referring professionals, families and the individual to ensure that Vane Hill is the right fit and that the transition into our care is smooth and well-managed. Following your referral, our Team will carry out a prompt and thorough assessment, either in person or remotely, depending on the prospective resident’s location and needs. This collaborative process ensures continuity of care and supports a safe, person-centred admission pathway.

Make a Referral Call Us

ARBD Care

At Vane Hill, we offer ARBD care built on individual assessments, medical/audit history, nutrition (including thiamine status), cognitive functioning, physical health and psychosocial needs. Our structured care plan includes routine nursing care, life-skills enablement (such as home-cooking, gardening, domestic tasks), therapy support (occupational, speech & language, psychology) and social inclusion. We use a 3-Step Enablement Programme to monitor progress, build independence and maintain abstinence from alcohol. For higher dependency residents, we ensure safe nursing oversight, manage risks, medication review and physical support. For lower dependency residents, we support more independence under supervision.

Korsakoff’s Syndrome Care

At Vane Hill, for individuals with Korsakoff’s syndrome, we provide a highly structured environment and care plan focused on memory support and safety. We use external cues (visual schedules, labelled environments), consistency of staff and routines, carefully broken down tasks and supportive communication. Nursing care ensures physical health risks (nutrition, hydration, falls) are mitigated. Therapy input aims to preserve remaining memory and learning abilities and improve the quality of life. Family involvement, capacity assessments and sensitive support are also central.

When making a referral, providing a comprehensive picture helps ensure a smooth assessment and safe placement. Useful information includes the patient’s alcohol use history (duration, quantity, recent abstinence or withdrawal), current cognitive status (memory, attention, orientation), nutritional status (especially thiamine/vitamin B1 levels), physical health issues (mobility, balance, safety risks, comorbidities) and medical treatments underway. Note their history of hospital or emergency department admissions related to alcohol or related brain injury can help establish risk. If available, include recent assessments, neuropsychological reports or screening tools and information about capacity, behaviour and daily living skills.

Healthcare professionals often consider referral to specialist residential ARBD services when a patient meets a combination of risk and need indicators. Examples include: significant and long-standing alcohol usage, persistent memory loss or daily living issues, frequent readmissions to hospital or emergency care, poor nutrition or risk of malnutrition, ongoing capacity or safety concerns or inability to follow home-based care reliably. If withdrawal has completed but cognitive impairment remains and home care or community support is no longer sufficient, a residential specialist care home with multidisciplinary support becomes more appropriate.

While timing can vary, a well-managed referral process for ARBD care typically involves several steps: First, the referrer supplies the necessary clinical and social information, then a clinical assessor from the receiving care service liaises with the referrer to clarify concerns and arrange further assessments if required (this might include home or hospital visits). Once medical stability is confirmed (for example, that withdrawal is managed, any acute medical conditions are addressed), the care home works with the referrer and family to create a personalised care plan. The goal is to ensure the move is safe, supported and respects the resident’s wellbeing and dignity. In many cases, referral to specialist ARBD services occurs under operational criteria (e.g. those defined by local or national bodies) once certain triggers are met.

Contact Us

15-72 Vane Hill Road
Torquay
Devon
TQ1 2BZ

01803 214916 info@vanehillcare.co.uk Book a Tour

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