Family involvement in mental health care for older adults: From caregiving to advocacy and empowerment.

Abstract

he full promise of professionals and family members of older adults with mental illness participating as partners in care, thereby encouraging maximum functioning of older adults, has yet to be realized. A critical question is why many older adults do not make use of existing mental health services, whereas others do not have the services they desire (Speer, Williams, West, & Dupree, 1991). At the same time, elderly mentally ill people in family settings-especially the many families who are primary caregivers-have serious unmet needs. Research can give further clarity to mental health caregiving in a family context and to involvement of families as advocates in increasing access to mental health services.Although the family's Herculean role in providing care to elderly family members is well recognized, more must be done to ensure that families have a formal role in the health care system (Pfeiffer, 1990). Without sufficient community-based treatments, adult children-who provide most of the daily instrumental care such as cooking or bathing for their older parents-are providing more care, more difficult care, and over much longer periods, often leading to caregiver burden. Clearly, the grow-The author thanks Mary Stanley, research librarian, for her assistance.

Redefining Social Work for the New Millennium

“…The percentage of elderly people in the population is expected to continue to rise well into the twenty-first century, with a continually higher percentage of people older than age 85 (AARP, 1991). One challenge of the twenty-first century will be to design services for diverse older adults (Greene, 1995;Padgett, Patrick, Burns, & Schlesinger, 1994).…”

Barriers to serving older adults with a psychiatric disability.

“…The full promise of professional and family members of older persons with mental illness working as partners in care has yet to be realized (Greene, 1995). There are probably a number of explanations for the neglect of these caregivers, but certainly one is the lack of research regarding their specific needs and interventions that work for them.…”

“…Literature about the needs of caregivers of younger adults with mental illness and about helpful interventions is abundant, but little is known about the similarities and differences involved in caring for an older person with a men tal disorder (Greene, 1995;Smyer & Birkel, 1991). It is certain that they face many serious medical problems due to the aging of their relative in addition to many of the behavioral difficulties found in the younger age group.…”

Construction et validation d'une échelle d'attentes en matière de consultation auprès d'aidant(e)s de personnes âgées

“…Les aidants ont des besoins uniques et varies, lesquels devraient guider l'offre de services formels (Association canadienne de soins et services communautaires, 1998;Green, 1995). Toutefois, cet objectif est loin d'etre atteint.…”