1 / 8

The Geriatric Client Population at NCI

Introduction. NCI is a substance abuse detoxification and rehabilitation center in Gallup, NM.Approximately 1500 admissions/month.Most clients are brought in by police for protective custody for detoxification.Most clients are Native American.Most clients are homeless and

laken
Télécharger la présentation

The Geriatric Client Population at NCI

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. The Geriatric Client Population at NCI Florian Birkmayer, M.D.

    2. Introduction NCI is a substance abuse detoxification and rehabilitation center in Gallup, NM. Approximately 1500 admissions/month. Most clients are brought in by police for protective custody for detoxification. Most clients are Native American. Most clients are homeless and stuck in Gallup, cut off from family. Substances: Alcohol, ocean (hairspray, mouthwash, etc.)

    3. Source of Data Admission data from NCI in Gallup. Collected as routine clinical data. 2 types of admission: Protective custody (PC): Pt intoxicated, brought in by police. Individual clients come in between 1 and up to 16 times per month. Shelter: Pt has to be sober to enter shelter. Difficult to extrapolate to population in general.

    6. Clinical Vignette (a composite of several cases) Mr. X is a 74 y.o. Widowed Native American Male with Alcohol Dependence and Type II Diabetes who usually lives in a small community 40 miles from Gallup but is also frequently homeless in Gallup. At the beginning of every month his adult children locate him (often at NCI), get him to cash his social security check and take his cash. They give him a certain amount of his money and take him to Gallup, where he buys alcohol, gets drunk and lives homelessly. Several times that month he is picked up by Gallup police and taken to NCI for detoxification. He has no regular medical care for his diabetes and is not taking any medications. When he is prescribed medications, they are usually lost or stolen due to homelessness. The client also has symptoms of dementia and depression. He has been unable to get an appointment with a psychiatrist. When a social worker tries to intervene, the family appear to be dependent on his income and have no other income. They and he state that he is giving them the money out of free will and that it is in accordance with traditional values. They and he state that he chooses to go to Gallup and drink and that there is nothing for him to do in his community. He has several acquaintances in similar situations that have died from exposure or being hit by a truck, but says he doesnt think this will happen to him.

    9. Summary The elderly represent a significant portion of NCI admissions They show a high risk pattern, being brought in only for protective custody and with multiple admissions per month There is no easy way to extrapolate the prevalence of substance abuse and related problems (e.g. elder abuse, cooccurring disorders) but this group represents the tip of the iceberg. More services are needed to assess the elders (and their families) needs and provide these to end the vicious cycle of homelessness and substance abuse. Elders are precious, important and deserve respect. Helping the elders helps the overall health and beauty of the Navajo Nation.

More Related