Psychiatric/Mental Health

St. John's Hospital Psychiatric Home Health Services is a program for patients requiring short-term, intermittent psychiatric/mental health care. Our professional staff members have many years of experience and extensive knowledge in psychiatric, as well as medical nursing. They work in partnership with your physician to provide quality care for patients with psychiatric, mental health and medical disorders.

Criteria for admission may vary according to payer source. In general, patients must suffer from a psychiatric or mental health disorder that is acute in nature or an acute exacerbation of a chronic illness. Services must be prescribed either by your personal doctor or a psychiatrist.

Appropriate patients include those of any age with a psychiatric/mental health diagnosis including mood disorders, thought disorders, anxiety disorders or geriatric mental health disorders. Those patients with acute psychiatric needs related to their health status or those who experience difficulty coping related to a health crisis, grief or loss also can be referred.

Services provided by the psychiatric nurse under the direction of the patient's physician may include the following:

• Ongoing psychiatric nursing assessment of the patient's mental status, level of functioning and psychosocial stressors
• Evaluation of the patient's response to treatment
• Medication education, monitoring, setup and administration
• Patient education regarding the illness, healthy coping skills and lifestyle changes
• Supportive therapy
• Ongoing assessment and monitoring of medical needs
• Education and support of the caregiver/significant other
• Collection of lab specimens and monitoring of results, including drug levels and white blood counts
• Referrals to community resources and coordination of services

These professional staff members also are available as needed:

• Home health aides
• Medical social workers
• Occupational therapist
• Pastoral care workers
• Physical therapist
• Speech therapist

Discharge planning is a dynamic, ongoing process throughout the time of service. Discharge occurs when goals are achieved, nursing interventions are completed, the patient withdraws from treatment or the physician requests discharge.

Costs for services are billed directly. Home Health Services are covered under Medicare, Medicaid and other third-party payers.