2024-03-14 09:02:54
An article by Yolanda Peregrín, department of Psychology; Alicia Aranda and Laura Martinez, Occupational Therapy; Eva Ma Pordomingo, Sociocultural Animation of Los Nogales Iron Gatein collaboration with Carmen Echave, Elena González and Olga Noblejas, 4th year internship students of Psychology at the UAM
The growing aging of the Spanish population has contributed to the qualitative updating of healthcare resources for the care of our elderly. In this context, the Person-Centered Care (PCA) model It is postulated as an integrative method compared to the traditional model. One of the main objectives of this model is to minimize the negative emotional impact that can occur in some seniors when they have to enter a residence.
Sometimes this change can affect the emotional well-being of older people, generating during the first months of stay the appearance of dysthymiaa kind of mild depression which is characterized by a low mood and can affect eating, sleeping and produce a feeling of hopelessness, among other symptoms.
Admission to a nursing home can cause the appearance of dysthymia, a type of mild depression, during the first months.
The implementation of the ACP model includes the creation of coexistence units based on personalized attention that allow focusing on two main axes:
- The attention to peoples based on knowledge of their life history, respect for individuality, the promotion of autonomy and healthy habits and the protection of their rights.
- The attention to the physical and social environment creates significant spaces, stimulating physical, mental and social activity, in which the collaboration of families, openness to the community and the perception of an empathetic and facilitating organization is essential.
In this way, the presence of different areas of geriatric care such as psychologythe occupational therapy o to sociocultural animationis essential to facilitate the correct adaptation of the elderly to the new context and meet their needs.
Therefore, when an elderly person enters a center, the psychology department must carry out a initial evaluation that allows knowing the cognitive and emotional state of the person and the completion of the life history is requested to know the new resident in depth. Likewise, it must be assign a reference professional whose main function should be to accompany them throughout the adaptation process and to whom they can turn if they need assistance.
Once this information has been collected and analyzed, the most suitable living unit for the person. This part of the process is essential to reduce the possibility of the appearance of that reactive depression upon admission, thus achieving a more progressive adaptation.
The Person-Centered Care (PCA) model minimizes the negative emotional impact when entering a nursing home
From the Psychology Department of Los Nogales, for example, the access to therapies, both individual and group, depending on your tastes and preferences. These sessions provide tools and coping mechanisms for the new situation, in addition to allowing monitoring of the person’s emotional state and their adjustment to the new situation without emotional cost.
At the same time, the occupational therapy team promotes the independence of the person in the basic and instrumental activities of daily life. For this reason, with the aim of knowing your capabilities, desires and interests, an exhaustive initial assessment is carried out.
This adaptation begins in the most intimate space of the elderly person, which is their room, which adapts to their tastes and needs to promote spatio-temporal and personal orientation. Within the cohabitation unit, they are offered different activities and workshops adapted to the capabilities of each person. Carrying out meaningful tasks will influence your motivation and, therefore, a good adaptation to the environment. On the other hand, carrying out group activities favors socialization with people with the same interests.
For its part, from the Sociocultural Animation the activities carried out are those intended to cover the leisure needs of the people who live in each coexistence unit, offering them tasks adapted to their abilities that give them a feeling of satisfaction.
In the same way, it facilitates the opening of the elderly to the communityso from this area intergenerational activities are programmed that facilitate the contact of the elderly with other sectors of the population, such as children or young people, avoiding social isolation and favoring the increase of self-esteem and feelings of usefulness in the elderly who live in residences.
Thus, with the information obtained through the life history, the interview with family members and the resident person, it is adapt activities to new needscreating new workshops that meet personal expectations.
In summary, all these structural and organizational adaptations that imply the application of the ACP model in senior centers, allow the creation of a environment facilitating adaptation of the elderly person when they enter one of them, thus minimizing the possibility of the appearance of a depressive disorder reactive to the new situation.
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