MENTAL HEALTH
Do UK Care Homes Need Mental Health Nurses?
Matt Farrah, Co-founder of jobs site
Socialcare.co.uk, discusses the role of a registered mental health nurse and why they are so important in an elderly care home environment.
In the past, older adults with a mental illness were oſten sent to psychiatric hospitals. Today, they can go to care homes where they will receive personal care and medical treatment. As an added bonus, many of these facilities are located in towns and villages which makes it easier for the elderly residents to reintegrate into the local community.
There are more than 11,000 registered and active care homes in the UK, with a combined bed capacity of more than 450,000. Some of these homes will accept residents with various forms of mental illness, including dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Accordingly, these facilities will require the services of competent registered mental health nurses (RMNs). In fact, it is a regulatory requirement for care homes to employ RMNs if they intend on caring for mentally ill residents.
In care homes, mental health nurses are responsible for duties such as coordinating residents’ medical assessments and appointments; safeguarding and protecting patients’ privacy and rights; and engaging with residents’ families and friends.
Their most important responsibility, however, is to ensure that their elderly patients receive their medication as prescribed. For example, care home residents oſten need their medication five times a day: early morning, mid-morning, lunchtime, aſternoon and evening.
Following the correct medication protocols is vital because any deviation from this can significantly affect a resident’s
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mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Even a simple medicine, such as paracetamol, can significantly alleviate a patient’s trauma and improve their behaviour.
Residents with dementia oſten cannot understand what is happening to them or they don’t realise that they should inform a member of staff when they are in pain. In this type of situation, the patient can become agitated and distressed. It is for this reason that care homes need to employ registered mental health nurses who possess pain management skills.
In contrast to hospital settings, RMNs in care homes will be working with the same residents over a very long period of time. They will therefore be able to establish positive bonds with patients and their relatives. They can also conduct a more detailed assessment and relay the outcome to the care home’s doctor and other staff members.
After providing patients with their medication, RMNs will then need to take care of the paperwork. This usually includes assessments, care plans, nutrition charts, and vital observations.
Mental health nurses are usually university graduates who have studied a three-year degree course. Many care homes prefer to employ RMNs with some general nursing skills or a registered general nurse (RGN) with dementia care training.
According to this article, the challenges faced by mental health nurses are unique, requiring particular personal skills, such as:
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