Saturday, January 7, 2017
Hospital dumping of dementia patients is the new normal. Twice in the past 30 days I have had two clients sent to the emergency room for delusional and unsafe behavior. Both individuals had a diagnosis of dementia. Both times a medication review was requested because in addition to the diagnosed urinary tract infections both individuals exhibited generally unsafe and agitated behaviors.
One client attempted to stab a caregiver in the leg with a knife, another physically harmed a family member. With dementia these behaviors are more common than one might expect.
In prior times, geriatric psychiatry units would accept individuals with dementia for medication management that is much better implemented in a more controlled environment. Medication management means that the present prescribed medications are reviewed in addition to other medications that may be helpful in managing agitated or unsafe behaviors.
Imagine being a person with dementia who feels and acts like you are out of your mind and the medical profession refuses to help you.
Today, due to insurance regulations, only individuals with mental health diagnosis may be admitted for treatment into a geriatric psychiatry unit. Individuals diagnosed with dementia who are exhibiting mental distress do not qualify for treatment under health insurance in a geriatric psychiatry unit.
One of the challenges in going back through an individual’s health history, especially an older adult, is that a mental health diagnosis was viewed as a negative stigma. Thus, even if an older adult of today had mental health issues in their younger years, this rarely has been diagnosed, let along placed as a diagnosis in a medical chart. This is the question you will be asked if you attempt to have a loved one placed in a geriatric psychiatric unit – is there a diagnosis related to mental health?
The lesson: if anyone in your family experiences challenges due to mental health, have the diagnoses placed in the medical chart. If not, and this person has a diagnosis of dementia in later years, it may be difficult to receive treatment.
Medical treatment for behaviors is is a present challenge and a challenge for the future as the number of individuals diagnosed with dementia increases and behavioral challenges occur. If the medical profession refuses to treat demented individuals with behaviors who will?
Who in the insurance industry or the government decided that persons diagnosed with dementia should be DENIED TREATMENT? Who in the insurance industry or the government decided that behaviors of persons with dementia should NOT be treatable for geriatric psychiatry benefits using a health insurance benefit?
The reality is that not all medical professionals working in hospitals — or even primary care physicians — are trained to care for persons diagnosed with dementia. In one of the emergency room visits, the emergency room physician and social worker told me, “we’re not equipped to deal with this type of situation (dementia).”
If medical professionals, especially in hospital emergency rooms, are not equipped to treat and respond to individuals diagnosed with dementia what does this say of the gap in healthcare today and in the future?
If the medical profession and insurance companies fail to pay attention to this segment of the population today, how will the ever increasing number of individuals yet to be diagnosed in the future with dementia receive treatment?
Will individuals diagnosed with dementia be dumped out of hospitals into the streets or into the homes of loved ones who are even less prepared to care for their family members?
A case manager at another hospital told a client that he needed to take his father home and find a care community because the hospital was unsuccessful in making this transition for the family. Again, if medical professionals in a hospital are not successful in finding a community placement for an individual, how can the hospital expect a family member with fewer skills and knowledge to be successful?
Professionals with the skill, background and ability to work with individuals diagnosed with dementia and to advise their families represent a specialty niche of professionals within the aging industry. If you are a person diagnosed with dementia or a family member seek out assistance rather than having your loved one being treated with less than dignity and caring. Plan ahead for expected and unexpected situations.
If you are interested in planning for your care or the care of a loved one, pick up a copy of my book, The Caregiving Trap: Solutions for Life’s Unexpected Changes.
Dementia Patients Dumped from Hospital Emergency Rooms was last modified: January 7th, 2017 by Pamela Wilson
Pamela D. Wilson, MS, BS/BA, CG, CSA, Certified Senior Advisor specializes in working with family and professional caregivers to navigate healthcare and aging concerns. Wilson, an expert in the field of caregiving, has personally helped thousands of family and professional caregivers since 2000 in her career as an advocate, a care navigator, and an educator. Through her company, The Care Navigator, she is an advocate and service provider in the roles of guardian, power of attorney, care manager, and transition specialist. She was producer and host of The Caring Generation®, from 2009 to 2011, an educational radio program for caregivers on 630 KHOW-AM. In addition to her work at the Care Navigator, Pamela gives back to the community by serving as chairperson of the Community Ethics Committee in Denver, Colorado.
Her new book, The Caregiving Trap: Solutions for Life’s Unexpected Changes, will be available on October 6, 2015 through all major bookstores as well as on PamelaDWilson.com. You can find her on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In.