Mental Health Services in Nursing Homes: Challenges to the Use of Nonpharmacologic Interventions in Nursing Homes

The Nursing Home Reform Act, part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, stated that nursing homes should try nonpharmacologic interventions before resorting to pharmacologic agents when addressing problem behaviors among residents. Since that time, the use of pharmacologic agents has decreased, but there is little evidence to suggest that the use of nonpharmacologic interventions has increased. Psychosocial models describe problem behaviors as complex phenomena that require individualized strategies based on a resident's unique characteristics. Categories of intervention include social contact, behavior therapy, staff training, structured activities, environmental interventions, and a combination of therapies. This article discusses internal barriers to the use of nonpharmacologic interventions based on the Porras stream organization model: organizing arrangements, social factors, technology, and physical setting. Also, external barriers related to the regulatory, legal, and economic sectors are discussed. The authors offer recommendations for overcoming these barriers.