Care Plan Development for Mental Health Patient

Running head: NURSING ASSIGNMENT
NURSING ASISGNMENT
Name of the student’
Name of the university
Author note

1NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Part A
As per the World Health Organization (2019), mental health is one of the critical aspects
treating which has become challenging for the healthcare professionals around the world. This
organization defines mental health as the crucial aspect of overall wellbeing lack of which could
make the health of patients compromised and affect their emotional and physical wellbeing. In
Australia, mental health concerns are the most crucial health condition after cardiac and diabetes
disorders and as per the data collected from the Australian bureau of statistics (2019) more than
20% of the population of Australia is suffering from mental health conditions and more than
15% of people have lost their life due to the adverse effects of mental health conditions.
Healthcare facilities of Australia hence developed guidelines and policies so that patients
suffering from mental health condition could be provided with effective and optimal care for the
healthcare process. The primary aim of this paper is to provide details of the local and national
government healthcare policies and recommendations so that the effective use of these policies
and guidelines could be achieved.
As per the local government of New South Wales, the national government of Australia
has developed several acts and policies for the dementia or associated mental healthcare of the
patients (health.nsw.gov.au 2019). Development of NSW CARER ACT in 2010 was done so that
healthcare professionals could be provided with effective means of assessing the mental health
condition of patients in the aged care facilities of Australia (NSW Legislation 2019). This policy
was developed for overall mental health conditions and hence, a specific care strategy was
required for the patients of dementia in Australia. Hence, this was achieved through the
development of NSW legislations that determined that dementia specific care strategy should be
provided to the healthcare facilities (health.nsw.gov.au 2019). In the year 2012 the Australian

2NURSING ASSIGNMENT
government developed and funded the dementia care process and ensures that all the
governmental policies should be followed diligently so that effective care could be ensured.
Further, this helped the dementia care process to be accessible, enhanced the assessment and
identification or diagnosis process in the healthcare facilities of Australia (health.nsw.gov.au
2019). Further, to increase the compliance to these policies the government implemented
awareness program and workshops in the healthcare facilities so that with the dementia
awareness week (which is arranged in December of every year) increased effectiveness of the
entire healthcare facility was determined.
Further, the government implemented the family centered and patient cantered care
policy for critically and terminally ill patients so that with contribution of family members of the
patient, effective care could be reinforced and culturally and ethically competent care could be
provided to the patient (Family & Community Services NSW 2019). Therefore, all these policies
and guidelines were focusing on three important aspect of mental healthcare process such as the
community based care, person and family centered care and finally the culturally and ethically
compliance care (NSW Legislation 2019). Hence, application of these guidelines and policies
created an environment in healthcare facilities of Australia, so that patients with dementia could
be provided with effective and efficient interventions.
Part B
Patient description summary
In this provided case study, Harry is suffering from mental health concerns and hence,
while providing care to the patient, the local healthcare policies and guidelines should be
discussed. Harry (68) lives alone in the central coast local healthcare district and after the death

3NURSING ASSIGNMENT
of his wife five years back, he is isolated and does not mix with anyone in the society. Further, it
is seen that he refuses to attend the bowling club and men’s shed an hence, it is evident that the
patient was suffering from mental health condition and in the course he started isolating himself
from the society as he believed his health condition would limit his abilities. Besides isolation,
lack of confidence and self efficacy were also lacking in the patient. As per his children, he had
obsessive disorder and after the death of their mother, his father become lonely that increased his
obsession. Therefore, he should be provided with effective and accurate medication and
interventions so that with the application of timely and priority based caring, his mental
wellbeing could be reinforced. Hence, the care professional should provide care to the patient
depending on the three identified aspect of his mental wellbeing and in the course develop a
priority based care regime with the help of relevant policies and information so that the
developed care plan could comply with governmental recommendations. Further, person
centered or family centered care should also be targeted so that efficacy of the care process
increases.
Policy and recommendations for the care process
As per Kutcher et al. (2016) after understanding the primary concerns of Harry, the first
step that should be taken for the care process of Harry for his mental and emotional wellbeing
would be identification of his mental health condition. As per the Australian guidelines and
principles of mental health condition would be implemented and primarily his condition would
be assessed with the concept of dementia as the issues identified in the care process align with
dementia condition (NSW Legislation 2019). As the patient belongs to the Local Healthcare
District of Central Coast Australia, application of mental healthcare identification
recommendation or policy should be inclusive of several aspects (Central Coast Local Health