Mental illness : key area handbook / Department of Health.

  • Great Britain. Department of Health.
Date:
1994
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Mental illness : key area handbook / Department of Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 — the physical health needs of those presenting with mental illness @ adequate health service continuing and terminal care beds for people with dementia and other severe mental illnesses @ respite care @ domiciliary care @ practical advice and support for carers in dealing with, for example, behavioural problems, incontinence or immobility. In assessing needs for services for elderly people, purchasers and providers need to remember that patients who are nominally ‘elderly’ may well benefit from remaining within existing service provision, rather than being transferred to specialist old age psychiatric services. Care should therefore be taken in applying any age-determined criteria for access to services. Children and adolescents The needs of children and adolescents are different from those of adults. Psycho-social factors which affect parents can also have distinct and separate effects on their children. In assessing needs, purchasers and providers will need to consider the child and the family, the school or college and the child’s general social network. It is essential that the services for children and adolescents are properly planned and coordinated. This is addressed in the Mini-Handbook for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, to be published later this year. Informal Carers Family members and other informal carers provide the majority of support for people with a severe mental illness. Following hospital closures the burden upon carers has in many cases increased. If the needs of carers are not catered for, both their health, and that of the people they care for, can suffer. Direct services for carers would include: — provision of information on all aspects of mental illness, in a range of formats — access to a range of respite care facilities 39 MENTALILLNESS