When to refer to psychiatric home care

When a person is:

Sleeping and/or eating poorly, or feeling a loss of energy and motivation.
Experiencing unreal thoughts, visions, smells or sounds.
Suspicious of family, friends or others and can't be reassured.
Fearful, fretful, needing lots of contact and reassurance from others.
Anxious, has many complaints that can't be solved, focuses on one or two things in particular.
Talking about wanting to die, or not wanting to wake up in the morning or makes actual self-harm statements.
Beginning to forget things and additional assessment is needed.
Having difficulty figuring out medication schedules, or medications are being missed or forgotten.
Difficult to re-direct or is assaultive to family, staff or peers.

Assess the overall situation and provide input, direction and recommendations.
Assess behaviors and teach about non-medication interventions.
Help to decide when medication is necessary to improve quality of life.
Provide education for patients, caregivers regarding what medication side effects to look for.
Educate about when to use an ‘as needed’ medication.
Provide direction and consultation when a change in living environment is needed for safety.
Liaison to report symptoms to the doctor in language that will effectively convey behaviors and problems.
Help for staff with decision-making and problem-solving twenty-four hours a day to keep people as healthy as possible, both physically and mentally.

When a person is diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and a new medication is started.
When a different medication is started for an existing disorder.
When a medication is increased or decreased and further assessment is needed.
When a person is receiving ECT on an outpatient basis.
When a person is readmitted frequently into the psychiatric hospital.
When a person needs frequent assessment due to use of a high-risk or new medication.
When a person needs further instruction about their medication regimen and administration.
When there is a possibility that an increased level of care may be needed.
When the patient and family is in need of further instruction regarding the disease process, coping with the illness, looking for re-occurrences in symptoms.
When there are numerous physical problems, as well as psychiatric problems.
The psychiatric home care nurse will assess the patient's mental health status, as well as physical status, the medication regimen compliance, patient response and side effects, coping, mood, thoughts, behavior and safety; and work with the physician to plan services to best provide teaching and on-going assessment for the patient and family, to improve their overall health.

For a consultation, call (616) 235-5113.