ABSTRACT
As a result of public law 99-166 the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Juan (DVAMC), Puerto Rico engaged in a planned de-institutionalization of psychiatric veteran patients who had been treated in two contracted psychiatric hospitals in the community. This research seeks to determine whether they were receiving treatment after the deinstitutionalization effort was completed, the types of psychosocial problems they were facing and the resources utilized to cope with them. The authors found that the veterans were receiving treatment for their psychosocial problems, they relied to a great extent on DVAMC for services and that the psychosocial problems of those veterans over age 55 were less and differed from those under age 55.
Subject(s)
Community Mental Health Services/statistics & numerical data , Deinstitutionalization , Mental Disorders/rehabilitation , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Community Mental Health Services/supply & distribution , Employment , Family , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Income , Male , Middle Aged , Puerto Rico , Social Problems , United States , United States Department of Veterans AffairsABSTRACT
A study was made of a matched-random sample of veterans who had been discharged from two VA contract psychiatric hospitals in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The authors wished to determine what had happened to the veterans who were formerly treated in the psychiatric hospitals and whether these veterans were receiving treatment or not. The analysis of the data revealed that the majority of veteran's had received either inpatient or ambulatory treatment for either psychiatric or medical/surgical conditions. The older group of veterans had utilized medical treatment resources to a greater extend that the younger group. The number of hospitalizations decreased from 8.5 prior to June of 1984 to 3.6 after June 1984. Although patients continued utilizing and depending upon VA ambulatory care for medical services needed.
Subject(s)
Hospitals, Psychiatric/statistics & numerical data , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care , Veterans , Ambulatory Care , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Puerto RicoABSTRACT
The study asked how do elderly veterans who fail to keep appointments in the General Medicine and Surgery Out-Patient Clinics in the San Juan, VA Hospital differ from those who do not. Three hypothesis were formulated: 1. Elderly patients who fail to keep appointments have other medical alternatives in non-VA facilities. 2. Elderly patients who fail to keep appointments have a longer waiting time between appointments. 3. Elderly patients who are given appointments in various clinics within a short period of time fail to keep appointments. A sample of fifty-three elderly veterans from the Medical Out-Patient Clinics was drawn. A face-to-face structured interview was used to collect the data. The interview was designed to obtain socio-demographic characteristics, use of clinics, and recommendations to improve services. A percentage analysis was used to point out differences and similarities. The findings supported the hypothesis that patients who failed to keep appointments not only used private non-VA facilities, but also had the financial resources to pay for them. Data confirmed that those who failed to keep appointments have to wait a longer time between appointments. Patients who failed to keep appointments considered them too infrequent which resulted in forgetting the appointments.
