Appointment of a guardian for the institutionalized mentally frail: is it necessary?

摘要

Senior citizens are the most rapidly growing age group worldwide. They are also aging; in 2007, 27% of the 65 + age group were octogenarians or older. More than 20% of those 80+ suffer from a moderate to severe form of dementia, their needs often exceed the resources of their families, and placement in a nursing home is sometimes inevitable. In Israel, approximately 4% of the elderly reside in long-term care institutions. Of the 30,200 total number of beds in the 403 institutions for the elderly, there are 19,900 beds (65.8%) for nursing home and mentally frail patients.In Israel, departments for the mentally frail are registered as hospital departments, and are under the supervision of the Ministry of Health Ordinances for registration of hospitals, which is distinct from homes for the independent aged and/or the infirm that are subject to the "Residential Home Supervision Regulations: living conditions and treatment of independent and/or infirm elderly." Before admission to a residential home, the candidate independent or infirm elderly person must have a written expert evaluation by the home's physician and social worker confirming his or her capacity to express his or her opinion, and must then sign informed consent for admission.