Community mental health nursing and the elderly client: a case presentation

Elderly people suffering mental illness often isolate themselves from the community and any form of help and, therefore, from mental health professionals. This paper shows that these people can benefit from the skills of a community mental health nurse: a nurse who can form a trusting and therapeutic relationship and act as a mediator between the client and the community, the client and other health professionals, and the client and government departments. The role the community mental health nurse plays in co-ordinating service, in health promotion and in resolving ethical issues is discussed.