• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Net Health

Purpose-built EMR Software + Solutions for Outpatient Care

Home

Solutions

Therapy

SNF & Senior Living
Hospital Outpatient
Private Practice
Home Health
Acute Care

Wound Care

Hospital Outpatient
Private Practice
Data Solutions

Occupational Health

Employee Health for Hospitals
Employee Health for SNFs
Occupational Medicine Clinics

Hospice

Hospice Management

Telehealth

For SNF & Senior Living Therapy
For Hospital Outpatient Therapy
For Private Practice Therapy
For Home Health Therapy

For Wound Care
For Hospital Employee Health
For Occupational Medicine

Digital Marketing Services

For Therapy
For SNF & Senior Living
For Wound Care
For Occupational Medicine

Professional Services

For Therapy
For Wound Care
For Hospital Employee Health
For Occupational Medicine

Revenue Cycle Services

For Hospice
For Occupational Medicine

Resources

Net Health Resources Page, Webinar, green image
Outpatient Therapy

Grow Your Rehab Therapy Practice Using Paid Ads and Search Engine Marketing

When done right, paid advertising and search engine marketing are amazing tools to reach new patients and grow your business. By applying several basic tactics, you can start using powerful digital advertising platforms like Google and Facebook to target specific audiences and help ensure a steady flow of business for your practice. Click to View […]

Click to View Webinar
Net Health Resources Page, check mark, red image
Hospice

Five Key Stressors Hospice Professionals Face, with Guidance for Support

Hospice professionals help others face death and loss, while juggling interdisciplinary communications, quality compliance regulations and ever-evolving technologies. You are continually there for families and their dear ones who are passing away. But what about you? Get the eBook In caregiving professions, it is easy to get swept up in the needs of others and forget […]

Get the eBook
Sales: 800.411.6281
Please make a solution selection below and we will be in touch with you to schedule a demo.

Blogs + Articles

Browse all blogs
SNF & Senior Living Therapy
Outpatient Therapy
Home Health Therapy
Wound Care
Employee Health
Occupational Medicine
Hospice

Resources

Resource Hub
Webinars
Videos
Case Studies
eBooks
White Papers

About

Jason JJ James, CIO, SME blog image
Leadership

Net Health’s CIO discusses diversity and how it can build a stronger organization

Diversity in the workplace is an on-going issue but it’s an issue with solutions. To build diversity, it takes forward-thinking initiatives, a reexamination of the hiring philosophy, and the support of the company’s decision-makers.  One such supporter of diversity in the workplace is Net Health’s CIO, Jason “JJ” James.  Recent social movements like Black Lives […]

Read More
Net Health's Fireside Chat on Race blog image
Our Culture

Tough Questions | Real Answers: Net Health’s Fireside Chat about Race

Net Health did something different recently. Nearly two hundred employees and their families gathered around their computer screens to take part in a landmark event in our company’s history – we called it a “Fireside Chat about Race”.  The purpose of this event was to have a truly open conversation about the controversial but relevant […]

Read More

About Net Health

Company
Leadership
Partners
Careers
Press Releases

Contact

Login

Agility

844.464.9348

CliniSign

772.403.1301

Hospice

855.417.1420

Net Health U

Optima Therapy

772.403.1301

Net Health Therapy
(formerly ReDoc)

844.464.9348

Net Health Wound Care
 (formerly WoundExpert)

844.464.9348

Schedule a Demo
Blog Posts How to Ensure Quality Hospice Care for Patients with Mental Illness
Hospice

How to Ensure Quality Hospice Care for Patients with Mental Illness

January 5, 2021 by Net Health

While hospice agencies provide all-around care for patients who are nearing the end of their lives, it can also undeniably be a stressful time for seniors who may be trying to come to terms with a new reality. These distressed feelings may also be intensified by those who are grappling with a mental health condition, in addition to their terminal illness. For example, according to the American Psychological Association, up to 20 percent of terminally patients are diagnosed with major depression. 1

Regardless of what a patient may be struggling with, hospices can also extend their line of care to address an individual’s state of mind and be a source of kindness and compassion through the end of their life journey.

Surround Patient with a Caring Team

The Disability Services and Legal website notes that in order to provide the best quality care for patients with mental illness, it is essential that hospices work with the patient’s entire medical care team, and also consult other professionals – such as psychiatrists, social workers and counselors – who may have the expertise and knowledge that can support a patient’s treatment plan.2 Hospice care often starts with designing a thorough and consistent plan that includes reliable treatment options not just for managing a patient’s pain levels, but for their mental well-being as well.

Equally as important is talking to the patient about their current state of mind and listening with an open mind and an open heart. Doing so can help one better identify which team members to turn to for additional resources and care.

Provide Proper Training for Staff

We don’t know what we don’t know, but in a hospice environment, taking the steps to expand one’s awareness and knowledge on all things mental health is key. Mental health courses and training programs, such as those available through the Mental Health First Aid and the American Psychological Association, can equip those in hospice care to better support patients who may have underlying mental and emotional concerns. This may range from familiarizing oneself on all the different types of mental health conditions to better understanding a patient’s particular diagnosis. Educating oneself can provide a greater perspective and understanding of what a patient may be experiencing and also help establish a relationship of mutual trust and respect.3

Be Compassionate

Hospice patients who may have been diagnosed with a mental health ailment may sometimes have a difficult time communicating how they feel. The unpleasant combination of experiencing physical pain along with mental distress may be overwhelming. But approaching them with a kind, caring, and compassionate spirit is what can help hospice patients feel a sense of comfort and relief, and not to mention provide insight on the struggles of their inner world.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, some of the best ways to approach a patient with mental illness may include the following:

  • Avoid prying and look for common ground.
  • Give them the opportunity to speak and share their feelings.
  • Offer words of hope and prayers.
  • Ask open-ended questions, such as “How can I help you?”

Offer Counseling and Therapy Options

Having counselors and psychiatrists nearby who are trained to support the needs of a patient and their mental health is also key. A patient’s end-of-life treatment plan may include counseling sessions with a therapist or a sit-down with a psychiatrist, thus providing a safe space for them to share what’s going on inside their head. Alternative therapy options, such as animal therapy or art therapy, may also provide great benefits to patients who need an outlet to express what they’re feeling through different forms. 5 

Work with a Patient’s Loved Ones

Keeping the lines of communication open with a patient’s loved ones may reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness that can affect a person’s mental health. A recent study that looked at 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries revealed that 25 percent of said individuals have reported a decline in their mental health since the start of the pandemic, and 90 percent feel lonelier now. 6 But ongoing visits with family members and friends may help a senior struggling with a mental condition feel like they are continuously loved and care for. It can also give them a sense of purpose, connection and community.

When patients with mental illness near the end of their lives, it is the careful consideration and care of hospice that may help them reach a place of peace they may not have been able to otherwise find.

Learn more about how a specialized EHR solution can keep your hospice agency running smoothly.

5 Key Stressors Hospice Professionals Face, with Guidance for Support

By Joy Berger, DMA, FT, BCC, MT-BC, Founder and CEO of Composing Life out of Loss

Download the eBook

References:

1 American Psychological Association, “End of Life Issues and Care,” 2008.

2 Disability Services and Legal, “Dealing With Mental Illness In The Hospice,” March 12, 2019.

3 Hospice News, “Improving Hospice Access for Patients with Serious Mental Illness,” August 21, 2020. 

4 National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Tips for How to Help a Person with Mental Illness,” November 19, 2020.

5 Disability Services and Legal, “Dealing With Mental Illness In The Hospice,” March 12, 2019.

6 Hospice News, “Social Isolation a Threat to Hospice Patients During COVID-19,” October 21, 2020.

LinkedinShareTweetMailPrint

Filed Under: Blog Posts

Subscribe and See More

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Footer

About

  • Company
  • Leadership
  • Careers
  • Locations
  • Our Culture | The Buzz
  • Press Releases

Resources

  • Resource Hub
  • Our Blog
  • Client Services

Care Settings

  • Hospital
  • Post-Acute Care
  • Private Practice

Sales

800.411.6281

Copyright © 2021 · Net Health · Sitemap · Privacy Policy