Nursing care, passing medication, nutrition and hydration and physical and occupational therapy are all necessary components of good care. What goes on between these aspects of care is also very important and should involve psychosocial care. Each resident has his or her unique needs and personalities. Some will enter long term care after a major surgery, while others are being admitted directly from their home due to a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. One of the greatest types of care you can deliver in senior settings, is person-centered psychosocial care. Let’s talk about it.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Behavioral and Mental Health? Checkout my Behavioral and Mental Health CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)
What is Psychosocial Care?
People require much more than basic care and nutrition to experience quality of living. Psychosocial care provides meaning and purpose in one’s life. It attends to the social aspects of life as well as the emotional and psychological needs that one has. Psychosocial care involves concern about the resident’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, health, physical functioning, well-being and ultimately, quality of life.
There are many areas of psychosocial care to consider, including providing social support to seniors. It also requires you to be mindful of environmental stressors. Pay special attention to the senior’s abilities to provide self-care and monitor their emotional health. Sometimes delivering psychosocial care involves discussions of difficult topics like advance directives. You may need to discuss spiritual or religious needs, cultural needs, and work through difficult issues like preparing for death and dying.
Psychosocial care also means working through delirium and cognitive problems. It involves being effective with difficult moods states and emotional pain. Sometimes it involves attempts to handle difficult behaviors, pain, frustration and anger. Regardless of the issue at hand, the goal of psychosocial care is to eliminate or significantly reduce factors causing negative impacts on the senior’s life as much as possible. Other goals include promoting dignity, enhancing social engagement and lessening symptoms of depression. These interventions should be person-centered and uniquely designed for each individual. There is no cookie-cutter model of psychosocial care that would be effective.
Why is Psychosocial Care Necessary?
Beyond the main reasons for long term care placement including Alzheimer’s, falls and fractures, COPD, cancer, and other physical disorders, the senior faces a long list of social and emotional difficulties living outside of their home. There simply is no shortage of psychosocial problems in senior care. Here are a few:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fear of death and dying
- Loneliness
- Boredom
- Meaninglessness
- Purposelessness
- Grief
- Loss
- Frailty
- Hopelessness
- Helplessness
Final Words on Psychosocial Care
As you can see, many problems, issues and needs in senior care go far beyond physical and medical treatment. While such care is a necessity, what goes on between med passes and therapy sessions can be times of emptiness, sadness and despair. It is therefore imperative to understand and deliver the best psychosocial care to your residents as you possibly can. It can make the difference between poor quality of life to a life with joy and meaning.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Behavioral and Mental Health? Checkout my Behavioral and Mental Health CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)