Mental illness Care - Essay Example

"Mental illness Care" is an engrossing example of a paper on care.
Nursing is one of the noblest jobs on this planet. It is an occupation that requires a lot of commitment and a good heart. Nurses are normally left with the task of caring and ensuring patient safety in health care facilities. In general, they are responsible for the welfare of these patients. According to Mr.C, his long term experience as a nurse has taught him the value of this profession. Having dealt with a patient, Mary, who was mentally handicapped and also a victim of substance abuse. On top of all this, she is homeless, with no family or insurance. This means that the health facility has to cater to all her needs as well as providing for her financial needs and security. With the increasing number of such victims or rather patients in health cares, it goes without doubt that the hospitals and national budgets cannot sustain these patients (Ruggiero, 2008). The cost is very high and this call for the respective stakeholders has to implement long-term programs that will assist and support these patients. The programs have to be reinstated and reinvented in the health cares supporting such patients.  Some of these beneficial programs are as follows.

The Department of  Mental Health should ensure that there are enough state hospitals. These hospitals should be well equipped with the necessary tools and health caregivers who are to take care of these patients. This will also ensure there is no congestion of patients in the few facilities available. Funding of these programs is also of paramount importance and should be looked into keenly. Research has shown that in most states, the funding for these programs has been on the decline and has been reducing. This is a very huge blow to the health cares giving these services and it must be addressed very fast. Despite Medicaid being faced with economic pressures, the proposed cuts should be minimized to ensure that the programs keep running. An estimate of one person in seventeen people suffers from a major mental illness condition in the United States of America. With this alarming number, it is a duty of everyone to step in and assist where one can.

The Department of Mental Health should deploy experienced counsellors who will try and guide these patients as the condition can be reversed (Espejo, 2012). The medicine should also be provided as it keeps the patients in a good normal condition.  The responsible stakeholders should also go a step further and assist in job searches to these people so they can at least support themselves. Family support services should also be offered as they are very vital. The necessary information is relayed to the family members so as to maintain integrity (Ruggiero, 2008).  The family members of these patients also need counselling on how to handle these patients as well as the whole situation s it is a very sensitive issue. As in the case of Mary, you will find out that most families tend to neglect those who suffer from mental illness and send them to Mental illness homes. This should not be the case as family affection is very helpful in the healing process. Mr.C was right saying that we should all play a part where we can in this situation. The responsible stakeholders should also set up long-term programs to sustain these health facilities and consequently the health and safety of these patients.