The group activity room is where patients will be able to socialize with each other and participate in group counseling sessions. Janet Driskell (opposite page, above) is the Golden Care program director at Chilton Medical Center. Tommie Crouch (opposite page, below) is a licensed social worker who will assist patients in therapy and counseling. Each patient room will have a window, bed, bathroom and space for walking or chairs for visitors. The unit also has an enclosed outdoor patio and a group activity area across from the nurses’ station. The unit will remain locked at all times to ensure patient security, but family visitation is allowed. To be admitted to Golden Care, patients must have a primary psychiatric diagnosis or specific behavioral issues, such as dementia (Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s diseases), depression, anxiety and emotional difficulties associated with aging. Medical issues cannot be the primary focus of care. “Between 8 and 15 percent of people that live within the community suffer from depression,” Driskell said. “Thirty percent of persons who are elderly that reside in nursing homes or those types of settings suffer from depression as well, and depression sometimes gets mistaken for dementia.” Driskell said the average length of stay for someone in Golden Care is about 14 days. The unit will offer individual, group, recreational and family therapies, living skills groups and medication management services. The unit is primarily a Medicare based program, but staff are working toward expanding the program to all insurances
17 Wellness