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Community Liaison with a Mental Hospital
Author(s) -
GOLDSTEIN S. E.,
ROGERS Mrs. J.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1973.tb01660.x
Subject(s) - medicine , prejudice (legal term) , nursing homes , nursing , mental hospital , mental illness , community hospital , general hospital , mental health , family medicine , psychiatry , psychology , social psychology
A report is given on a one‐year trial of obtaining discharge of suitable geriatric patients from a Brockville mental hospital to nursing homes or homes for the aged in Ottawa, Canada. Reasons for rejection or acceptance of transfer are discussed. Barriers of prejudice, lack of staff liaison, and lack of supervised non‐nursing facilities in Ottawa had to be overcome before the program could be effective. Family relationships are stressed. Persistent education regarding the new approach was a large factor in success, as was the principle of reversible exchange of patients between the institutions involved. Hospital beds are needed for the rapid short‐term treatment of acutely ill patients. Therefore it is important to confirm that no patients are admitted to, or remain in mental hospitals unnecessarily.