Transforming Long-term Care ─ Expanded Roles for Mental Health Professionals

Geropsychologists Carney and Norris detail the expanded roles and services psychologists and mental health professionals can provide in long-term care settings that are institutional or facility-based, including personal care, assisted living, and skilled nursing care. They outline an eldercare method that recognizes that the complex needs of long-term care residents cannot be fully addressed through traditional mental health services only and the concept of “wraparound” care, which emphasizes that individuals who depend on others for their care and well-being rely on those around them for their emotional and social needs, including family and staff. They discuss the current state of nursing home care, including common structures and interventions of psychological services and challenges faced by mental health providers, then describe a vision of long-term care and the role of mental health professionals that includes best practices that recognize the need for more flexible, compassionate, and person-centered care; how emerging models of care have allowed for expanded roles for mental health providers; and their eldercare method. Annotation ©2017 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)