Perhaps you are a senior who has struggled with mental health and mental health issues throughout your life and have concerns about transitioning to an assisted living facility where people may not understand your particular individual challenges. Maybe you are a family member who has noticed mental health changes in a loved one that appear exacerbated by some of the stressors commonly associated with aging, such as the loss of a spouse, and want to ensure that those providing care are not only aware of potential issues, but also compassionately capable of caring for those issues. You may even have noticed that depression or other mental illnesses seem to impact people differently as they age. You may wonder if there is a place with the capabilities of simultaneously providing services for the aging and for those who struggle with mental health-related concerns. There is. Chelsea Senior Living is proud to offer comprehensive mental health services at its East Brunswick, New Jersey location.
At these locations, our specially trained staff work with individual patients to provide a level of care that would best be described as outpatient, if the residents were not in an assisted living environment. At both of these locations, the staff can help patients transition from an in-patient hospitalization environment, and are experienced in helping patients manage both chronic mental illness and complex medication management needs. They understand that the realities of aging can make medicating mental illnesses more difficult and the importance of working with a resident’s treating physicians to ensure continuous care. They focus on relapse prevention as well as recovery, and focus on risk elimination. Furthermore, they provide a heightened level of supervision, to ensure that patients are getting the appropriate rest, nutrition, and socialization they need to support recovery.
While patients are treated by psychiatrists, psychologists, and RNs, they also have access to group and individual therapy at Chelsea, as well as a therapeutic recreation program. Understanding that families also need support, The Chelsea has also developed a family support program aimed at helping increase family support for residents and providing families with the support and encouragement of other families facing similar challenges.
Like all mental health care facilities, The Chelsea facilities are flexible. Some residents have long-term stays in the recovery program, while others have short terms stays while they transition into a general assisted living environment.
If you are just beginning to find out about mental illness and aging, Web MD has a very informative article about depression and the elderly: Read The Web MD Article Depression In the Elderly Here.
