Medical Care of the Mentally Impaired in Homes for the Aged

Abstract

Studies of 530 residents of 5 Jewish homes for the aged in different North American cities and of 70 Jewish homes for the aged in the U. S. A. and Canada brought out 3 facts of major importance. (1). Almost all residents are in ill health and have multiple chronic ailments. (2). Mental impairment with symptoms of temporary or continuous confusion is the most common affliction, found in more than 4 out of 10 persons studied, and marked emotional disorders are widespread among the residents. (3). Most of the Jewish homes for the aged perform the functions of high-grade nursing homes and emphasize both comprehensiveness of health service and teamwork. Psychiatrists are in attendance at the majority of the homes. As the experience with organized psychiatric service shows, many residents who enter the home with symptoms of mental impairment or who find it hard to adjust themselves to "congregate living" can be treated successfully, persons with psychosomatic disorders can be handled effectively, disoriented residents can receive intensive care in suitable physical facilities, and referrals to mental hospitals can be held to a minimum. A constructive program of service must aim at 3 interdependent objectives: the emotional adjustment of all residents to home life, the constant supervision of those with minor disorders, and the intensive care of those with serious illness or impairment. The chief contribution of the psychiatrist is the integration of the therapeutic potentialities of the entire personnel of the home.