Resource Tag: NURSING HOMES

The right to self-determination is central to the current debate on rational suicide in old age. This exploratory study assessed the presence of self-determination in suicidal institutionalized elderly persons. 11 elderly persons with serious suicidal ideation were matched with 11 nonsuicidal persons. Results indicated suicidal persons did not differ from nonsuicidal persons in level of […]

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Dr. Bert Keizer, gives an account of working in a Dutch nursing home. Discusses the feelings & attitudes of this doctor who performs legalized euthanasia for his patients. States that the compelling character of Bert Keizer brings all of his wit, humanity, intelligence & love, & injects power into a subject most of us wish […]

This book provides information on legal aspects of geriatric law & covers topics such as: informed consent & truth telling; medical record keeping; financing health care of the elderly; disability determinations; elder abuse & neglect; involuntary committment & guardianship; medicolegal problems in care for nursing home residents; nursing homes as teaching institutions; legal aspects of […]

This article reports on a group of nursing home residents, some identified as ideators at risk for suicide, & compares ideators to nonideators. 99 subjects were studied. It was found that those who lacked a confidante had significantly more ideation than those who had a significant other person in their life. Age was also a […]

This article cites studies suggesting that nursing home placement may indeed be protection against suicide among elders (eg. completed suicide rate: 15.8/100,000 for institutions compared to 19.2 for community-dwelling elders). Possible explanations are discussed. Studies are also cited to show an increase in indirect life-threatening behavior (ILTB) among nursing home elders. The author poses many […]

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This book examines clinical & policy issues regarding aging with special attention on Alzheimer’s disease & “rational suicide” for reasons of age. It also looks at the ethical dilemmas in nursing homes, rights of patients in long-term care & questions of justice between generations. It calls for “communicative ethics” & emphasizes the need to shift […]

A questionnaire was mailed to Dutch nursing home physicians asking how often they had received an explicit request for euthanasia or assisted suicide & how often they had complied with that request. Of 582 responses, 88% had never administered euthanasia or assisted a suicide in a nursing home. The remaining 12% had received 164 requests […]

The development of a program to identify & intervene with the suicidal elderly is described. The program consists of 4 components: outreach to the homebound or isolated elderly in the community, consultation & crisis intervention with nursing homes, consultations with geriatric patients on the medical & surgical floors of a general hospital & a specialized […]

A suicide by an elderly nursing home resident is presented. Its psychological and systemic impact are discussed, as are the possible contributions of institutional contexts. Relevant recent literature is reviewed. A model of suicide probability is suggested, and a postsuicide intervention is described. (23 refs.)

In a group of 60 suicides age 65 or older, 18 persons gave specific reasons for their completed suicide. 8 left indications that this act was precipitated by anticipation of a nursing home placement. Among these there was a trend which showed fear of nursing home placement predominating among married persons. This reached significance when […]

This chapter characterizes moral theory & discusses classical approaches to understanding euthanasia. Concepts of professionalism & professional obligations are analyzed & discusses in relation to 4 medical settings (emergency room, nursing home, burn unit, & neonatal intensive care). Quality of life issues are discussed with reference to infants & euthanasia, brain death & irreversible coma, […]

One major purpose of this study was to identify environmental factors related to suicide in long-term facilities. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of administrators at 1,080 facilities. 4 characteristics were found to be related to suicidal behaviour & deaths from suicide: staff turnover, size, auspices & per diem cost. More suicides occurred in […]

This chapter was written for those who want to begin to understand why & how older Americans are committing suicide at a high rate. The issues & elements of elder suicide are examined in some detail: demographics, high-risk factors, suicidal intent & methods, & suicide in nursing homes. The purpose is to provide clear indicators […]

Family members who play a major role in caring for elderly relatives frequently ignore their own needs. This publication was prepared to help caregivers maintain their personal well-being while providing quality care for an elderly relative. The sources of stress are discussed. Strategies for managing stress including: setting realistic goals & expectations; asking for & […]

A model of resource use, using data from 33 institutions for mental diseases, was tested. The model posits average cost per patient as a function of facility size, average occupancy, hourly wages for staff, client age distribution, client gender, length of stay, client history with criminal justice system, level of client confusion, suicidal tendencies among […]

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This study examined information from approxiamtely 500 long-term care facilities about suicides, attempted suicides, & other self destructive behaviors. The authors found that males, whites, & those who were depressed and/or had recently experienced a loss are particularly susceptible to self destructive behaviors. They also assert that noting abnormal behaviors such as refusing to eat […]

This article discusses the institutional care available for elderly psychiatric patients. The author describes the role of the institution historically, the current variety of inpatient facilities, criteria for admission, & therapeutic models (such as Milieu, behavioral, group & rehabilitation therapies). He outlines specific environmental & physical problems of the elderly inpatient, including a discussion of […]