The Importance of Specialized Mental Health Services for the Elderly and Terminally Ill

Virtually everyone who reaches a certain age comes to the point where they can no longer take care of themselves. This loss of autonomy is jarring, creating feelings of loss, depression, and anxiety in people who may never have experienced those emotions on such a large scale before.

The terminally ill are similarly forced to confront deep and difficult emotions every day as they deal with their looming mortality.

In this article, we take a look at why these groups require their own specialized mental health services and how they can be implemented on a larger scale.

Why it Matters

The sick and old have only the freedom they are given. No longer able to take care of themselves, they are making a transition that is both inevitable and almost impossible to prepare for. How many people, really, are ready to face their own mortality? Or even just a new life of physical limitations?

People who find themselves in these positions often deal with depression and anxiety because they have not been given the skills to process their feelings effectively.

A natural question begs to be asked: Might it be possible that they feel depressed because they are in a depressing situation?

Sure. That does contribute. However, studies do show that many people are able to accept their own deaths once they have been given the chance to fully process their feelings.

It’s not a perfect science. There is no stat that says: “Learn mindfulness breathing and you will become ok with the notion of human mortality.”

It’s simply an opportunity to think about something that is rarely given focus in our culture. Death and the infirmity of age are necessary, natural parts of life. They come for everyone. It’s how these things are handled that makes the difference.

People who have received high-quality mental health care are more prepared to deal with their situations. This improves the way they feel and allows them to make the most of their situation.

It also provides closure for their families as well. All too often, surviving relatives will tell their friends something along the lines of, “I’m choosing to remember Dad before. You know—the disease changed him.”

And ok, sure. We all want to remember our loved ones in their happiest moments. But isn’t it possible that this dissonance is why so few people are prepared for illness and death when it comes for them?

A healthier statement might be, “Boy, I hope I can handle things the way Dad did when my time comes.” This attitude is possible in a world that prioritizes mental health services for the elderly and terminally ill.

Who Administers this Care?

Psychiatric care can be administered by psychologists, therapists, and other professionals. Many communities are experiencing an increasingly high demand for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners.

NPs are licensed nurses who have gone on to get a graduate degree. While pursuing their master’s they can specialize, choosing a medical discipline that they feel passionate toward. Mental health care positions are always in demand because:
 

• The work is very difficult. In psych wards, patients are often violent and verbally abusive. Even administering low-risk care can be challenging. While a general practitioner can easily monitor if a patient has managed to lower their blood pressure, psychiatric NPs work with more abstract success metrics.
• People simply don’t think about it. Obviously, mental health care is not new but it would be fair to say that psychiatric services in their current iteration are. Mental health has gone from being a taboo topic to a mainstream talking point. Still, it takes a while for that transition to be observed in school enrollment. Only now are people who grew up in an environment that prioritizes mental health being given the chance to participate in the healthcare system.

Becoming an NP generally requires seven years total of college. This includes undergraduate studies. The work is hard—and expensive—but rewarding. NPs have almost the same amount of freedom as general practitioners, making this profession a great way to play an influential role in the healthcare system.

Implementation

It’s been said that the last few days of a person’s life may wind up costing more than all of the other healthcare they ever received. Combined. Obviously, that will vary from person to person. The idea is that all of the interventions required to provide comfort to a person on the brink of death are extremely expensive.

Considering how cost-prohibitive healthcare is already, does it make sense to add even more to the cost?

Mental health services aren’t free. However, they do have potential benefits that extend beyond those described above. For example:

• Better outlook. Patients who have a better outlook are more likely to commit to respond well to treatment. This may extend the life of certain terminally ill patients, and certainly improve the experience elderly adults have.
• The power of placebo. Patients who feel better emotionally may experience an improved outlook on their physical symptoms as well. This could result in a diminished need for certain other types of medical interventions.

In other words, when you get someone into the right headspace, the rest of their treatment strategy will go better. A more efficient treatment could be moderately more cost-effective.

That said, major adjustments to the healthcare system are the only ways to truly make mental health care more accessible to the elderly or terminally ill. This includes everything from broader access to insurance to more affordable premiums and copays.

No aspect of healthcare has gotten either issue right to date, but the problems are particularly exacerbated in mental health care, where insurance plans often fail to reflect the realities of care, and the uninsured are excluded entirely from participation.

If you feel passionate about making mental healthcare more accessible, look for local ways to contribute. If you have a medical background, consider volunteering your time at free or low-cost clinics. If not, look for ways to support healthcare professionals and the people they serve in your community.