Mental Health Services In Long-Term Care Facilities
For seniors who are living on their own, mental health is always dependent on their capacity for self awareness and also their own willingness to seek appropriate senior care. For those living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, the situation is a little more tenuous. As the numbers show, depressive and behavioral disorders are prevalent in these settings. In addition to the usual stressful work associated with aging, such as loss of loved ones, physical deterioration, and fears related to death, seniors in long-term care facilities often struggle with increased isolation and debilitating physical ailments, which can always reproduce latent mental issues. Since residents of senior facilities are often in poor health and have decreased cognitive functioning, it’s not always easy to evaluate and treat these individuals.
How Medicare Helps Seniors with Depression
The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 have announced screenings for mental illness and the reduced use of chemical and physical restraints. As part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA), this law mandated some pivotal changes in nursing home care, giving importance to the quality of life. In 1990, Congress responded by revising the Medicare laws, specifying the beneficiaries will recieve mental health care, should it be needed. Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover blanket screening procedures. This makes it impossible to discover hidden symptoms that residents sometimes hide to avoid stress and shame. In 2002, however, Medicare recognized the value of psychological services coinciding with the management of medical conditions. I translate this as such: Once you are already physically very ill, then your mental health is very important. If depression or mental illness is detected, and a doctor refers the resident to a psychiatrist, Then Medicare will take care of 50 percent of the approved amount. This is a hefty co-payment, especially in relation to the 80 percent Medicare covers for doctor’s office visits. I think it’s safe to say navigating through the Medicare system can be a little confusing.
Treating Depression in Long-term Care Facilities
A lot of organizations have risen to bridge the gap between mental health and long term care. VeriCare, for example, partners with skilled nursing and other residential facilities to make programs which are tailored to their resident’s needs. This company, founded shortly after the Nursing Home Reform Act, improves compliance with OBRA standards and provides behavioral and mental health services which is unavailable when it comes to most long term care settings. In searching for a nursing home facility, a process in which Gilbert Guide simplifies, it may be wiser to ask as to what mental health systems may have in place. With over 50 percent of nursing home residents exhibiting signs of depression and under 5 percent of those individuals receiving treatment, it’s crucial to plan ahead. I certainly wouldn’t choose a home for my grandmother if her physical health might be jeopardized. I’m even more hesitant to choose a place that doesn’t recognize her mental well being as equally important.