Mental Health Issues In Nursing Home

The results of this project were derived from a series of interviews and surveys that were distributed among selected local health care institutions such as Assisted Livings, Nursing homes as well as group homes. Reports were also gathered from online sources such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration site. As America's population ages, the need for mental and behavioral health services continues to increase. Public Health professionals are playing a critical role in addressing this situation and part of this is to determine any correlation with lifestyle or socio-economic background.17 Psychologists are studying and treating the mental and behavioral problems associated with growing old, such as loss of spouse, loss

Yet, less than 3 percent of older adults report seeing a mental health professional for their problems.18Older Americans underutilize mental health services because of inadequate funding for mental health services; lack of collaboration and coordination among primary care, mental health and aging service providers; access barriers; stigma surrounding mental illness and treatment; denial of problems; and lack of trained professionals in the provision of geriatric mental health services.18Fear, distress, anger, stress, social support and relaxation have been shown to influence immune and cardiac functions, susceptibility to infection, pain, asthma and recovery from surgery.20 Please see Graph 1 and Graph

It affects 12 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to increase to more than 22 million people by 2025.3 In fact, the number of Alzheimer's disease cases doubles every five years from age 65 to 85.18 Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's is becoming increasingly possible, due to the sensitive diagnostic tools developed by psychological and medical