Why mental health matters in home health care, and what to be aware of

Following the Covid disaster of 2020, the volume of mental health complaints exploded. Elderly people were especially affected by long-term isolation and stress, which caused inordinate levels of anxiety and depression. Years later, we still haven’t fully recovered.

Your patients’ mental and emotional well-being are equally as important as their physical health. People receiving care at home must deal with more than illness or injury. They’re also confronting loneliness, anxiety, depression, or the stress of long-term recovery. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at how and why mental health support should be a focused part of home healthcare.

Mental Health Matters 

Patients dealing with illness, injury, or surgery will see much faster recovery when their mental state is positive and optimistic. Contentment and a positive mental outlook can have numerous somatic effects on a patient’s overall wellbeing. Conversely, if a patient gives into hopelessness and despair, their recovery is likely to be delayed.

The process of aging, or recovering from surgery, or managing chronic illness, all of these come with psychological challenges. Being stuck at home alone, losing independence, or living with long-term pain can take their toll on a person’s mental state. In fact, it’s very normal to see an ongoing physical ailment eventually lead to a diagnosis of anxiety and depression.

And yet, mental and emotional problems can hide themselves. Depression and anxiety sometimes go unnoticed in a home care setting. This lack of attention can slow down physical recovery, lower the patient’s quality of life, and even increase the risk of hospital readmission. Simply put, if we ignore mental health, we’re not delivering full care.

Counseling at Home

 Patients often feel more relaxed in their own space, and this comfort can lead to better conversations and more honest communication. From grief counseling and trauma therapy to basic emotional support, having access to these services at home makes care more personal and convenient.

And it’s not just for the patient. Family caregivers deal with stress, exhaustion, and burnout, and they can benefit from counseling too. When the whole support system is stronger, everyone wins.

What Your Agency Can Do

 You don’t need a PhD in psychology, and you don’t need to be a professional psychiatrist to care for your patients’ mental wellbeing. Fortunately, there are a number of practical things you and your agency can do. Here are some steps you can take to support your patients’ mental health:

1. Train your staff to look for early warning signs. Because caregivers are the one who spend the most time with their patients, they will be the first to notice when something seems “off.” So they need to know what to look for. Warning signs include changes in mood, such as increased irritability, sadness, or withdrawal from social interaction. Patients may lose interest in hobbies, show changes in their sleep schedule or appetite, or express feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness. Some may become unusually anxious, confused, or forgetful, or may struggle to follow instructions that they previously understood. In more serious cases, patients might express their thoughts of self-harm or suicide. For patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s, emotional distress can show up as agitation, irrational fears, or even aggression. When you train caregivers to recognize these signs, they will feel confident in reporting them and acting.
2. Include routine mental health screenings. Every patient’s plan of care should include some regular check-ins by a nurse or other professional trained in providing for mental health. Whether monthly or quarterly, we should compare past health records with current notes in order to detect any changes in diet, sleep, or exercise. A clinician is qualified to determine whether the patient’s medications are contributing to any mental health problems.
3. Partner with licensed therapists and counselors. You’ll want to have a menu of services that includes referrals to mental health professionals. Make this menu available both for the patient as well as for members of their family. It’s best to present this menu immediately at intake, and most likely you’ll make it available multiple times over the course of care.
4. Use simple digital tools. Mobile apps, home health software, and online platforms can make it easier for patients to access therapy sessions, track their mood, or connect with support groups. But make sure to do your research before offering these tools to your patients. Especially for older patients, you’ll need to ensure that any digital tool is very user-friendly. Also, some more popular apps were recently found to have contracted with counselors who were not licensed. So proceed with caution.

Following these steps, and your agency will create a more complete care model that goes beyond a physical diagnosis and addresses the whole person.

Interactivity and Medication

In some cases, a licensed practitioner may write a prescription for your patient to take an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) in order to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression. And while such drugs are sometimes necessary, remember that there are several practical, non-pharmaceutical ways to support mental health. With a holistic approach, you can complement the use of medications with other therapies.

For example, health experts have written at length about the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. So make sure to encourage your patients to be mobile at regular intervals (to the extent that they are physically able, of course). Also, social interaction has been shown to be the number-one defense against dementia and mental decline. Giving your patients opportunities to socialize with friends and family is essential. As a caregiver, you must always be prepared with ideas for activities that your patient can do. While these activities might not replace prescription drugs, they can make a real difference in your patients’ mental health and well-being.

The Role of Mental Health Support in Hospice Care

With many agencies offering both home health and hospice care, we want to address this side as well. Patients facing the end of life, along with their families, are often grappling with intense emotional and spiritual challenges.

In most states, hospice organizations are required to either provide in-house mental health services or have a partnership with a licensed mental health professional. Hospice care teams are trained to address not only the physical needs of the patient but also the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of care. Mental health counselors play a key role in helping patients process their feelings, cope with fear and grief, and achieve a sense of peace during their final days. They also support family members, who may be struggling with anticipatory grief or the loss of a loved one. This kind of support helps ensure that the patient’s dignity and emotional well-being are maintained, providing a more holistic, compassionate approach to end-of-life care.

Even if your agency is limited to home health and doesn’t offer office hospice care, you should still be well-versed in the role of mental health in end-of-life care. And as stated above, it’s always a good idea to form strategic partnerships with other providers and organizations.

A Holistic Approach

 A holistic approach means taking the whole person, physical, mental, and emotional, altogether when planning care. When mental health is part of the plan, patients are more likely to follow medical advice, keep up with treatments, and feel motivated to stay active. They also tend to report higher satisfaction with their caregivers.

More than anything, a holistic approach respects the fact that people are more than their health problems. You can do more than just treating symptoms. You can improve a person’s overall quality of life.

The Takeaway

Home healthcare agencies have an opportunity to lead the way by making mental health a core part of what they do. That means training staff, building partnerships with mental health professionals, and using technology to close the gap.

Mental health is not a value-add or a luxury for the very rich. It’s the future of home healthcare. Patients deserve to feel supported, understood, and cared for in every way.

Related blogs:

1. Mental health challenges in home health care patients
2. How to make your agency the expert on homecare
3. Increasing home health care patient engagement