Mentally ILL in SNF's: Danger to the Elderly

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I read this article and was dismayed to find that SNF's are becoming the new dumping ground for the mentally ill, often with disastrous results. The lack of beds/pysch facilities for the mentally ill seems to be driving this trend. Pretty scary! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090322/ap_on_re_us/mentally_ill_nursing_homes

Opps! MI should be mentally ill, not myocardial infarction! This is why Joint Commision did away with abbreviations!

Can one of the mods change the title to Mentally Ill instead of MI?

I love how transfers will "suddenly" show signs like that. We've gotten some like that but if they're real bad, we're quick to send them on. But I think we're lucky that our admins put our safety first.

One other problem with putting mentally ill SNF's is that they usually don't have any type of security or a "take down" team when a pt becomes uncontrollable.

And Hippy, you are correct--legalizing marijuana would benefit many of these pts.! But this is what the pharmaceutical companies fear the most--a cheap drug that is effective and has few side effects.

Specializes in psyche, dialysis, community health.

I'd love to sit down with the LTC's admit coordinator who approved that one.

What were they thinking?!

Then again, if they were thinking what I think thy were thinking... I don't wanna think about that.

Thoughtfully,

dig

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Can one of the mods change the title to Mentally Ill instead of MI?
Certainly. ;)
Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Another reason for careful monitoring and reporting any slight abnormality or problem. It might seem like nothing but requires follow up. I don't know if its better to be overly cautious or not ...but I'd rather be on the safe side...

i have run into a few lately, that i think the hospital has drugged up very well, before transfer......and 12/16 hours later.....OMG

Specializes in acute care and geriatric.
i have run into a few lately, that i think the hospital has drugged up very well, before transfer......and 12/16 hours later.....OMG

Agreed, we see that as well

We've even had some come back on Tylenol and suddenly spike temps after a couple of hours!

Who do they think they are kidding!!

Agreed, we see that as well

We've even had some come back on Tylenol and suddenly spike temps after a couple of hours!

Who do they think they are kidding!!

they.dont.care.

When you see allergies to haldol, thorazine and a slew of other pshych meds, should make you wonder what they were dx with in the first place...then when you did and actually see the dx with pchizopherenian and then they have all of these allergies to antipsychotics....Would you think this would be a good placement for a LTC facility that isn't really psych specialty.......

yes,,,it happens.

Specializes in Community Health.

Oh wow...I remember that horrible fire in CT but I had just assumed that the 23 year old woman who started it was a staff member, not a pt!

This line from the article just killed me:

Also, mixing the mentally ill with the elderly makes economic sense for states. As long as a nursing home's mentally ill population stays under 50 percent, the federal government will help pay for the residents' care under Medicaid. Otherwise, the home is classified a mental institution, and the government won't pay.
:barf02:
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Perhaps the people who make the rules about funding would like to spend a few nights with a mentally ill person for their roommate.

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