…Then we saw what St. Joseph Medical Center had to offer, and our entire outlook changed.” – Kimberli Chalmer COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND SERVICES
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Families Challenged Storm-tossed Families by Loved LovedOne’s Ones’ by Psychiatric PsychiatricNeeds Needs Find Care Team at at FindaaWelcome Welcome Harbor St. Joseph Medical Center’s St. Joseph Medical Center’s Senior Senior Behavioral BehavioralHealth HealthServices Services “When needed “Whenmy myfather-in-law father-in-law needed psychiatric care, psychiatric care, all all we we could couldthink think of of was worst,” says Kimberli was thethe worst, ” says Kim Chalmers, Chalmers, supervisor of senior at supervisor of senior care at St.care Joseph St. Joseph Medical Center in Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. “That’s City.I“That’s why I canwith empathize why can empathize the fears with the fears of families facing of families facing heart-wrenching heart-wrenching decisions decisions when their lovedwhen onestheir suffer loved ones suffer from debilitating from debilitating psychiatric illness. psychiatric illness. take But after they take But oneafter lookthey at what one look at what we offer, their whole we offer, their whole outlook changes.” outlook changes.” The Senior Behavioral Health SerThe (SBH) Senior is Behavioral Health vices one of the manyServices ways (SBH) is one of the many ways St. the St. Joseph Medical Center serves Josephpopulation Medical Center serves senior in the area.the As the senior population in the area. the first hospital in Kansas City As to launch first hospital in Kansas City to launch a comprehensive Senior Care ser- a comprehensive Senior Care service line vice line including a senior-friendly including a senior-friendly emergency emergency room and senior-focused room, senior-focused inpatient program, inpatient program, and an outpatient and an outpatient senior clinic, SBH senior clinic, SBH ensures patients ensures patients and their families and their receive theand necreceive thefamilies necessary support essary support and services to services to offer stabilization andoffer stabilization treatment forserious adults treatment for and adults displaying displaying serious behavioral changes. behavioral changes.
50 KANSAS CITY METRO AREA – 2022 EDITION
“Weoffer offerhelp help and hope to patients “We and hope to patients and areare dealing andtheir theirfamilies familieswho who dealing with withthe thegravity gravityofofthese theselife-altering life-altering decisions,” says Helen decisions,” says HelenMiller, Miller,director director at at SBH. SBH. “We “Wewant wantfamilies familiestotoknow know what whataabeautiful beautifulplace placewewehave havecreated created to provide care for their loved ones in in to provide care for their loved ones aa tranquil, peaceful space with safety tranquil, peaceful space with safety uttermost uttermostininmind.” mind.” Miller adds thatthat the the levellevel of care Miller adds of care provided at SBH is helping families provided at SBH is helping families receive and therapy receivethe thecounseling counseling and therapy necessary to understand how to offer necessary to understand how to their offerloved their ones loveda better ones aquality better quality of more of life life and andtotocommunicate communicate more effectively with them. Along with thethe effectively with them. Along with advanced improvements in psychiatric advanced improvements in psychimedications, SBH is helping to reduce atric medications, SBH is helping the stigma surrounding psychiatric to reduce the stigma surrounding illness.
psychiatric illness. “We saysay if someone were “Weoften often if someone were diagnosed with any other illness, they diagnosed with any other illness, would seek help for that,” Miller says. they would seek help for that,” “As a society, we must confront the Miller says. “As a society, we must wrongful notions that prevent people confront the wrongful notions that from seeking care.”
