Long Term Care Options for Seniors with Schizophrenia

Jul 12, 2016

Long Term Care Options for Seniors with Schizophrenia

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When it comes to mental illnesses, schizophrenia is a condition that poses many challenges for clinicians and caregivers. Treatment options for older adults present unique considerations for living arrangements and the type of care needed.

Caring for Seniors with Schizophrenia

In just about any age group, schizophrenia can produce a wide range of symptoms hence its classification as a spectrum disorder. Most cases are expressed as a blurred combination of psychosis and depression, however, elderly individuals experience additional age-related symptoms.

In general, older people with schizophrenia are prone to the following:

  • Visual, tactile, and olfactory hallucinations
  • Abusive hallucinations
  • A third-person dialogue
  • Persecutory delusions
  • Recurring, chronic depression

Because schizophrenia may exhibit any range of these symptoms, diagnosing them accurately is a serious concern of many families and clinicians. Considering that over 90% of published papers on schizophrenia have excluded elderly persons with the disorder, more research is needed.

Age-Related Factors

Given the factor of age, the antipsychotics and antidepressants used to treat schizophrenia present additional risks for older adults whose bodies may not be able to process the medicines as efficiently as younger people.

In addition to receiving the appropriate doses of medication that is effective, schizophrenic seniors requiring long-term care need to consider more than the average retiree.

Mainly the needs of seniors with schizophrenia include assistance with:

  • Psychosis management
  • Side effects of medicine
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Social difficulties
  • Hygiene and dressing
  • Domestic skills

When locating a long-term care option for an elderly person with schizophrenia, it is important to seek a care type that can provide a high level of continuity in terms of a routine, caregivers, and the environment in general. The stress of daily changes or a shattering of schedules can only exacerbate anxiety and the manifestations of psychosis.

Finding Long-term Elder Care

The severity of one’s symptoms will likely determine the type of care that is most appropriate. For seniors who can function on their own to a greater extent may find a better fit in an assisted living community, while others may find the right care in a skilled nursing facility. Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) while generally more expensive, can allow a flexible transition between the different levels of care in case one’s health deteriorates or even stabilizes.

As a result of medications used to treat the disorder, schizophrenic seniors are significantly more likely to experience a fall and osteoporotic fractures. Knowing this should prompt considerations of a comprehensive long-term care option, even if only for the future.

Controlling anxiety is the main goal for many caretakers of elders with schizophrenia. Higher levels of anxiety are associated with poorer outcomes of an individual’s wellbeing, vitality, and social functioning in general. If left unmanaged, it is more likely that someone will fall into the statistic that older schizophrenics have an average of 20-23 years shorter of a lifespan than others.

Communication is Key

When choosing a long-term care option, be sure that caregiver-patient communications remain open and honest. In order to receive the right treatment, it’s important to disclose any side effects and concerns regarding medication and how the symptoms are reacting. If you are in the process of assisting an elderly loved one in their transition to a long-term care option, do your best to stay aware of how they are responding to treatments. Schizophrenic individuals may not always be able to communicate what they are experiencing, so being an advocate for your beloved elder is critical.

As seniors settle into their new long-term care option, be sure to remain supportive and within range of their contact. One of the most common roadblocks to treatment can be a lack of a supportive network of friends and family, so your presence can mean everything to an older person with schizophrenia.

Long Term Care Options for Seniors with Schizophrenia
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