MENTAL HEALTHCARE

Mental Healthcare of The Elderly

Mental Healthcare of the Elderly

Mental health and well-being are fundamental to quality of life, enabling people to experience life as meaningful and to be creative and active citizens. Mental health is an essential component of social cohesion, productivity and peace and stability in the living environment, contributing to social capital and economic development in societies. Public mental health and lifestyles conducive to mental well-being are crucial to achieving this aim. Mental health promotion increases the quality of life and mental well-being of the whole population, including people with mental health problems and their carers. The development and implementation of effective plans to promote mental health will enhance mental well-being for all. 

Specialist mental health services for older people have grown rapidly and successfully over the past two decades, aiming to offer services that are comprehensive, accessible, responsive, individualised, multidisciplinary, accountable, and systematic. As with all mental health problems, the burden falls on primary care (where minor morbidity often goes undetected) and specialist services tend to be reserved for those conditions and patients where diagnosis and management is problematic.

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive and irreversible brain disease that destroys mental and physical functioning in human beings, and invariably leads to death. It is the fourth leading cause of adult death in the United States. Alzheimer's creates emotional and financial catastrophe for many American families every year. Fortunately, a large amount of progress is being made to combat Alzheimer's disease every year. Although Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of the aging process, the risk of developing the disease increases as people grow older. About 3 percent of the United States population over the age of 65 is affected by Alzheimer's disease, and up to 50 percent of those over age 85 may have the disease (Knap 2002). It is a disease that not only affects the person who has it, but also the people who have to live around it. It takes a devastating toll, not only on the patients, but also on those who love and care for them. Patients experience immense fear and frustration as they struggle with once everyday tasks and slowly lose their independence. Family, friends, and especially those who provide daily care suffer immense pain and stress as they witness Alzheimer's disease slowly take their loved one from them.

Mental health care and Elderly with Alzheimer

Behavioural problems are estimated to occur in at least 50 percent of community-dwelling old people with Alzheimer. One or more behavioural problems such as aggression, anger, outbursts, paranoia, wandering, repetitive manipulation of objects, disturbed sleep and incontinence are found in 83% of the patients with Alzheimer (Burgener et al., 1998). It is important to find ways of understanding what lies behinds challenging behaviours and develop ways of interpreting what it might mean

In Alzheimer the patient will increasingly become less interested in personal hygiene such as combing hair, teeth brushing and changing clothes. Taking care of personal hygiene is often more difficult for relatives. Personal hygiene is about cleaning and using lotions to ...