Mental Health in the Nursing Home

Here is a practical book designed to help mental health practitioners working in institutional, extended care environments provide better care for their elderly patients. Geriatric patients in long-term care situations may suffer from many disabilities ranging from acute physical problems, to social isolation and economic privation, to dementia, depression, hypochondriasis, and paranoia. These are significant problems for the patient, other residents, their families, and the caretakers. Mental Health in the Nursing Home provides invaluable research and information for mental health practitioners. Through such diverse topics as the transition of care to nursing homes, the use of special treatment units for severely disabled patients, evaluation of daily functions, the organization of group programs, and guides for managing a group therapy program with geriatric patients, the book is extremely beneficial to every mental health practitioner working with elderly patients. The major theme of this important book--improving the quality of life of institutionalized elderly through proactive mental health approaches--is effectively presented and makes this an excellent resource.