Psychiatric rehabilitation: a framework for psychiatric home care

Psychiatric home care offers excellent opportunities to help the psychiatric patient achieve positive outcomes. Home care agencies need to develop a treatment model that supports the type of care provided to the psychiatric patient, such as psychiatric rehabilitation. This model purports that mental illness is a biologic illness affected by stress and inadequate problem-solving and coping skills. These patients have inadequate social skills, but they can improve. This article describes interactive tools and methods that the home care staff can use with such patients and their families.