The 5 Functions Of The Psychologist In A Nursing Home
Nursing homes have become a very important institutional space to meet some care needs during aging. In this space, psychology has had a relevant role, since it is a science with very diverse approaches and applications.
In this article we will briefly explain what the role of psychology is in aging and what are some of the The main functions that a psychologist can have within a geriatric residence
One of the areas of professional development in psychology is the aging process. This is because the knowledge that psychology generates can help build important tools to enhance the quality of life of older adults as well as to understand the processes of change as it has been done in other life cycles, and to intervene both with the elderly, and in the creation of care models and policies.
Old age had been reserved for medicine because it was understood based on health problems. Thus, interventions were limited to the prevention and eradication of diseases associated with aging. However, and given that old age is not a health problem, but rather a stage of life that has specific needs, psychology has also generated some tools to satisfy them.
There is even a specialty called gerontopsychology, which is a subbranch of clinical psychology, focused precisely on the study of this vital process and the development of psychological intervention strategies.
5 functions of the psychologist in a nursing home
Among the strategies that have been created to meet the needs of aging, intervention in institutions (geriatric residences) has been very relevant.
As in much of psychology, This intervention depends greatly on the professional’s ability to empathize with the needs of others, as well as the theoretical knowledge that you have acquired and that can help you detect and satisfy these needs. Generally, the ultimate purpose of the intervention is to ensure people’s quality of life and strengthen active aging.
RodrÃguez, Valderrama and Molina (2010) propose a series of intervention areas and strategies for institutionalized older adults, in which the role of the psychologist can be fundamental.
Taking this proposal into consideration, We develop five of the functions that a psychologist has within a residence: create support groups, provide coping strategies for possible challenges, provide guidance on the meaning of old age (both to the institution and the family), prevent or treat symptoms of depression, and accompany the approach to death.
1. Generate support groups
The psychologist can act as a facilitator and enhance the creation of support networks among older adults. Doing this is important because it increases the feeling of accompaniment and recognition through others, which in turn, can prevent depressive symptoms. For this, psychology has generated different strategies, which must be adapted to the situation of each residence and each group of adults.
2. Provide coping strategies for possible challenges
The psychologist can also make individual interventions aimed at providing emotional support. These interventions can have different objectives, for example, developing assertive communication, working on emotional control, following up on a grieving process, enhancing autonomy and self-esteem, etc. In any case It is important to accompany according to the need detected in each person and avoid conveying the idea that old age is a problem or a challenge in itself.
3. Provide guidance on the meaning of old age to the institution and the family
Intervention during aging is not limited to adults; it is necessary to provide guidance and support to the institution or family members. This is because in some cases, old age is understood as a problem or as a disability, which encourages passivity and little development of the person’s autonomy.
Since 1991 the UN has determined five efforts to ensure a good quality of life during aging: Dignity, Independence, Self-realization, Participation and Care; and promoting them is also the responsibility of psychology professionals.
4. Prevent or treat symptoms of depression or other disorders
As with other stages of life, the aging process can be difficult for some people. Old age can generate vulnerability to depressive symptoms if, among other things, the adult’s environment has not been able to encourage or satisfy some affiliation needs. Here the role of psychologist is important because it can both enhance self-esteem of the adult in individual or group interventions how to reduce the situation of vulnerability through intervening in the environment (in the residence, in the family, in the community).
For some people, approaching death can represent a very important problem. While old age is assumed to be the stage prior to the end of life, a process of significant suffering and mourning can occur The psychologist also has the function of accompanying this process within the geriatric institution. To do so, there are many very different tools, which largely depend on the approach that the professional adopts and his or her own emotional capacity to face or accompany death.
