Mixing Alxheimer's and Psych Patients

[RuRnurse?]

I know they all do it, but in my opinion, it is NOT the best idea. Our dementia unit has several younger, psychiatric residents that are a real problem. They are much more agile, and stronger, than the typical Alzheimers residents, and there have been several incidents with these ones mixing it up with the older, wheelchair-bound residents. And many of the families of the Alzheimers residents have expressed concerns about their loved ones safety.

In my opinion, these two populations have different needs, and should not be haphazardly mixed together.

[arelle68]

These populations should certainly NOT be mixed. No, no! Far too dangerous.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I've worked where this mixing happens. The gero-psych unit was also overflow for the non-ICU psych patients. Generally, though, the psych patients tended to try to help the geriatric patients. I think maybe it's because the psych patients weren't the most ill that it worked.

For a short while the facility tried to mix adolescent females with the geriatric patients. That definitely did not work and it was stopped very quickly.

[Trishalishus, PhD, CNS]

I know they all do it,

Do you know why they do it?

Our dementia unit has several younger, psychiatric residents that are a real problem. They are much more agile, and stronger, than the typical Alzheimers residents, and there have been several incidents with these ones mixing it up with the older, wheelchair-bound residents.

What are their diagnoses? I think the success or failure of such a program would be dependent on the psychiatric diagnosis and their treatment regimen as well as the stage of dementia of the Alzheimers residents.

And many of the families of the Alzheimers residents have expressed concerns about their loved ones safety.

"Many"? Sounds like you are working in a very socially engaged facility. Most of the families of the residents at my facility wouldn't a) notice, or b) care - unless their relative had been actually hurt - in which case, shouldn't the facility/family be charging the perpetrator and having him/her removed to a forensic facility?

In my opinion, these two populations have different needs, and should not be haphazardly mixed together.

How haphazard is it? Is there no overall psychiatric or nursing plan? I can see that it would be possible to engineer some positive outcomes for both populations in a well-managed program. In fact, with the "right" psych patients, I can see a brilliant strategy designed to improve their engagement with the "real" world, improving their self-esteem and social skills by creating opportunities for them to be socially helpful in a guided, genuinely useful way (as opposed to sitting around in group therapy or art classes etc).

I'm not aware of these two populations being deliberately mixed qua population in Australia - but on the face of it, I can see some really exciting opportunities with the idea. Thanks!!