Psychiatric Supplementary Care at Home (for older adults)

... a hand is more then a collection of fingers ...

Older people with longterm psychiatric disabilities have a complex care-demand. Often there is a fallback on the psychiatric hospital as the only authority that can deliver the demanded care. Because of that, these people are frequently admitted to the hospital or have to stay permanently hospitalized. But a hospital is not a place to live, these older persons also want to have a home. Psychiatric Supplementary Care at Home (PSCH) offers them the possibility of (stay) living in a desired environment with the required professional assistance.

PSCH is a continous, flexible care-supply, that originates from the care-demand of the cliënt. Together functionaries of Riagg’s, Home-Care and hospital mould the care and assistance into tangible forms. This makes a broad supply of care possible. The rehabilitation-method as it is developed by Boston University (US) is basic to the caregiving.

In order to be able to supply the demanded care, for every cliënt a virtual organization is formed, consisting of cliënt, Social Psychiatric Nurse (SPN), PSCH-nurse, Home-Care functionary and medical doctor. The virtual organization is functionally autonomous. Within it each functionary has its own professional responsibility. The solid core can be extended by temporary assistance. The SPN is regie-manager, responsable for recruitment, continuity and coordination of care. The goal of regie-management is to warrant a sufficient level of conditions, which makes that PSCH can be given (longterm).

After given permission to provide PSCH the care-demand is analysed, goals are set and available sources inventorised. The desired care and assistance is organized and arrangements are recorded in the careplan. As long as the cliënt is hospitalized, this happens in close cooperation with the clinical team. PSCH only stops when this is the explicit wish of the cliënt or after dying.

Since january the 1th of 1998 in the whole of The Hague PSCH is operational. After a year 110 older persons with divergent diagnosis are supported this way. Clients and functionaries are very satisfied with the possibilities of this form of care and assistance.

I did it!!  created by M.Y. Widdershoven, M.D. / sculptor / webdesigner
email: maryon@KokopelliArts.nl