Older People's Mental Health
Posted by
Wazit
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Posted on
5:55 AM
Hum, already one week after the end of my O&G. And now, I'm thrust into a whole new different area, one which we never did learn much in IMU. That's right... the Mental Health attachment. I admit, I was a bit apprehensive about this attachment at first...
How would talking to a mental patient be like?
How the hell I'm gonna take a proper history?
What if I get attacked by one or something?
Haha yeah.... all sorts of crazy thoughts were running through my head. Ironic too... since part of the attachment is that we have to do a project concerning stigma surrounding mental health patients. Haven't started and I'm already stigmatizing them.... should be ashamed >.> The fact that we're supplied with personal alarms and a workshop on how to defend ourselves doesn't help either.
Anyway, the attachment is divided into 3 parts: older people mental health (OPMH), children and adolescents mental health services (CAMSH) and adult mental health (AMH). OPMH is for two weeks, CAMSH for a week and AMH for 3 weeks. And right now, I'm in the 2nd week of OPMH. Like I was saying, I was worried earlier on how to take a history from a mental health patient... and I was partly right. 80% of the time I was having small chats with the patient, partly because old people like to talk I guess... and they tend to repeat what they say quite a number of times. Only 20% of the time I can get some insight into their problem.
But even so, talking to them is actually pretty nice. The patient I talked to last week was a nice old lady. Like I said earlier, she likes to talk but I guess that's because she must be pretty lonely staying in a residential home. She is moderately demented in the sense that she is not really clear on where she is and the current time, but other than that she seem like a normal person. Even after I left, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and waved goodbye at me through the window. Awww.... XD such a sweet old lady! And that's my first kiss since I came to the UK! XD
Well another thing I noticed about this attachment is that I get to interview far less patients than in the surgical block. So far only managed to take history from 2 patients... and everyone else also have the same amount. Current attachment is based more on theoretical and presentation style, where you have to research on a subject and come up with a presentation for your tutors to see, and then they will grade you according to your knowledge and presentation. That isn't too bad, I guess. That... and I don't need to wake up so early in the morning anymore. Can wake up at 8 am and still have plenty of time to spare! Haha... so much more chillax than the surgical block. Ah well... that's all for now... will update you guys more next time :D
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