Good news! Long-term care residents and short-stay rehabilitation patients will soon have access to counseling services provided by a licensed psychologist at Christian Health Care Center.
Those changes will be rolling out shortly. To get you more acquainted with what’s happening, here’s a little background:
Much of what we do at Christian Health Care Center is governed by state and federal laws regarding healthcare. These laws are designed to ensure that healthcare centers like ours are taking the best possible care of the residents who live here and receive therapy services here.
One of the major statutes governing our operations is the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, which established a set of rights for residents and aimed to ensure that their mental, physical and psychosocial well-being are properly looked after.
Other regulatory changes have taken place over the years. Most recently, in 2016, Congress took steps to update existing law through its Reform of Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities.
One of the many results of this reform, which is being phased in by stages (starting in 2016), is that healthcare centers like CHCC are required to ensure that residents are getting the behavioral health services they need. That can look like different things for different people, and we’ve been working hard to ensure we can meet the needs of everyone at CHCC.
Why are we providing this behavioral health care for residents and patients?
One reason, as stated above, is in response to changes in federal law.
Another reason is that we believe at CHCC that psychologists are vital components of a robust mental health program. They are critical to providing the high level of person-centered care that has been the hallmark of Christian Health Care Center for decades.
Psychologists are carefully trained to observe and assess a variety of traits, including people’s personality and behavior and how they process, understand and interact with the world around them. With regard to dementia, psychologists bring considerable expertise to the process of assessing behavioral and psychological symptoms.
What’s more, they have the tools to guide approaches to care for each resident’s unique situation, often without the need for drugs. Reducing psychotropic medications — which we strongly believe in at CHCC — requires attentive, person-centered care and engagement in meaningful activities.
These beneficial services have been provided until now by a registered nurse here at CHCC. She will continue to assist with therapy services, working collaboratively with a new licensed psychologist who will begin serving our care center in the weeks ahead. The deadline is more than a year away, but we believe in the positive value of these mental health services and wanted to get them launched sooner.
Counseling sessions will be tailored to the needs of each person and can be used to reduce anxiety, fear and anger; resolve loss; improve relationships; increase joy in daily life; reduce aggressive behavior; develop social skills; create a sense of peace and much more.
Medicare will cover 80 percent of the cost of counseling with a psychologist, and Medicaid or Medigap insurance will cover the remaining 20 percent. For more information about mental health at CHCC or to discuss how these services might benefit you or a loved one, please feel free to reach out to us at 360-354-4434.