Serious mental illness is debilitating, and for some unfortunate individuals, treatment is not entirely effective. Schizophrenia is rare in children, but its onset becomes more frequent by the teen years, especially for boys. Parents may struggle with decisions about what to do for a teenager with this disorder if medication is not completely resolving the symptoms. Home health services in Cleveland Texas can provide supervision so the parents can regain some semblance of a normal life. In fact, an organization such as Professional Health Care offers occupational therapy service, which can be very beneficial for helping a schizophrenic person regain skills to live independently one day.
Home health care is probably not suitable for a mentally ill teen who becomes violent. Violence is not a hallmark of schizophrenia, however. Instead, people with this disorder may simply be socially withdrawn, appearing fatigued, depressed and apathetic. They may talk to themselves, believing they are talking to someone else who is not actually there. When they try to communicate, they may not seem to make much sense. In some respects, schizophrenic behavior can be reminiscent of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, conditions with which home care workers may be very familiar.
Research has shown that schizophrenic patients generally have a lower level of disability if they are able to continue living at home with supervised home care. The professional supervision encourages these people to take their medication as scheduled, which is an important aspect since many mentally ill people avoid doing so. A large study found that home care workers needed less than two months of training to effectively care for these patients.
As the patient learns to trust the caregivers, he or she is more willing to do activities that promote health, such as eating nutritious meals and doing personal hygiene tasks. If the patient is in a depressive, withdrawn state, the caregiver from one of the agencies providing Health Services in Cleveland Texas can perform some of those hygiene tasks. The patient may even come to enjoy having hair washed and combed, and receiving a sponge bath. Anyone who is struggling with the decision about what to do for a mentally ill teenager may get more information about home care services online.
