They Deserve Better: Preventing Suicide in Skilled Nursing Facilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33940/interview/2021.9.7Abstract
Suicide in skilled nursing facilities—centers that provide around-the-clock treatment and rehabilitation—is a serious issue. Chronic physical ailments often take precedent over mental health issues, which can make it easy to overlook them. Tony Salvatore, director of Suicide Prevention at Montgomery County Emergency Service, provides insight into the problem and how we can better quantify it, and some simple fixes that can have a big impact.
References
Pennsylvania Department of Aging. Older Adult Protective Services 2019–20 Annual Report. https://www.aging.pa.gov/publications/annual-reports/Documents/2019-20%20Older%20Adults%20Protective%20Services%20Annual%20Report%20(PDF).pdf. Updated February 2021. Accessed August 20, 2021.
Montgomery County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Suicide Data and Trends. https://montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/9344/Suicide-Stats-Presentation-6-28-2016?bidId=. June 28, 2016. Accessed August 20, 2021.
The Joint Commission. Suicide Prevention. TJC website. https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/patient-safety-topics/suicide-prevention/. Accessed August 20, 2021.
