Families and Caregivers |
Quality mental health care for the older adult is readily available today, as is support,
guidance and advice for family caregivers.
This website gives you an idea of the types of services that can be found in many nursing
homes and residential settings where our group is working. |
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Our professional staff provides counseling for the older adult, as well as the family. We
help to identify what the best treatment approach would be for the individual’s
emotional or mental problems.
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Our professional staff also assists with managing certain problem behaviors that are due
to a mental or physical condition, such as dementia or a stroke, and can interfere with
the nursing care in the facility. When appropriate, we also have psychiatrists and nurse
practitioners that can recommend different medications to enhance the treatment. |
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Mental Health Statistics |
There is considerable evidence, from professional literature and research
studies, showing how common mental disorders are in older adults. Consider the following
(references are available):
- 40% of nursing home residents exhibit some symptoms of depression;
- among those nursing home residents with a mental disorder, less than 5% receive
treatment
- depression in nursing home residents is associated with increased staff care time
- depression in nursing home residents is also associated with increases in mortality, as
compared to residents without depression
- studies showing the effectiveness of psychotherapy and counseling have revealed that
counseling is equally effective to medication to treat depression, and has more lasting
effects than the medication
These and other studies show the effectiveness of mental health treatment for
depression and other emotional problems in older adults. |
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THE
VERICARE PROGRAM |
VeriCare is a team of healthcare professionals
committed to providing consistent, competent
and comprehensive mental health programs to
older adults wherever they may reside. |
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The services we provide are based on the needs
of the resident. Our providers are all licensed and thus qualified to administer
evaluations to help determine the best treatment plan for the individual resident. In
addition to these initial evaluations, treatment alternatives include: |
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Individual psychotherapy for the
resident who can participate in and benefit from a one-on-one format, improving coping and
adjustment skills, enhancing quality of life and provides insights into the
resident’s special needs
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Group therapy
which offers the
benefits of interaction, socialization and peer support
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Family therapy to help family
members deal with the feelings generated by placing a loved one in the care of others,
such as helplessness, guilt or frustration, and to develop problem solving skills
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Family support groups
providing a forum for
ongoing support and problem resolution for family members
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Specialized programs
to individualize the
mental health and behavioral health needs of the resident. These programs provide
comprehensive assessment and interventions for dementia patients, geared to their
functional ability, with less reliance on medication or restraint, and assists the
treatment team with the resident who is not progressing in their rehabilitation
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Residential services developed for assisted,
independent living and other residential settings for the elderly.
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If you have a family member who you feel would benefit from these mental
and behavioral health services, and your loved one is residing in one of the states where
we are working, you should make a request with the nursing director or social services
director about receiving this care. |
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| If your loved one resides in a different state, you are advised to inquire if such
services are available, or ask the director at your facility to
Contact Us, or refer them to our website. |
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