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Virginia Legal News

Mentally ill nursing home residents in Virginia and advance care plans


Posted on Jan 31, 2011

Virginia nursing homes are home to more than just elderly residents, they often house mentally ill people of all ages – young and old.  In fact, more and more mentally ill individuals are finding themselves in nursing homes, as other care options become harder to find.

 

A recent research study examined mentally ill nursing home residents and whether or not they had adequate advance care plans, also known as advance directives.  The researchers found that overall, residents with severe mental illnesses were less likely than those without mental illness to have an advance care directive in place.

 

What is an advance care directive?  It is a way for residents to define the type of care they will receive in the future, and list the individuals who are allowed to make health care decisions for them.  The types of directives out there include living wills, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, do-not-hospitalize orders, and restrictions on medical interventions like feeding tubes, medications and other treatments.

 

Researchers found that 68 percent of residents without any mental illness had at least one type of advance directive in place, while only 57 percent of residents with severe mental illness had one.  Serious mental illness includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychotic disorders.

 

If staff and managers at nursing homes do not have adequate instructions about the wishes of mentally ill nursing home residents, their care may be compromised and could even lead to abuse or neglect.

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Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
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