A therapeutic community is a community in which the administration and environment are contributory to patient’s recovery and eventually return to the society.
It can also be defined as one in which a conscious effort is made to employ all the staff and patient’s potential in an overall treatment programme, according to the capacity and training of each individual members.
Aims of therapeutic Community
- To encourage free communication and open discussion between care providers and patients.
- To provide an environment of understanding and acceptance
- Stimulate patient’s intellectually
- Promote meaningful adaptive human relationship
Therapeutic Community Team
This is an all embracing team comprising of doctors, nurses, social workers, clinical psychologist, welfare officers, hospital chaplain, domestic admin and maintenance staff.
The team meets together for a while to talk over what has been happening in the ward meeting, following each special meeting.
Characteristics of Therapeutic Community (T/C)
- Mutual trust and confidence
- no discrimination
- no imposition of authority and will
- friendliness/understanding among workers
- warm, supportive and homelike
- participate and group based
Principles of T/C
- Permissiveness to act according to one’s feelings, but within limits determined by the group.
- a communal sharing of tasks and responsibility
- decision-making on a democratic basis
- confrontation of each members of the group with what is happening in the community
Elements of Therapeutic Community
- Free communication
- Share responsibilities
- Active participation
- Individual in decision making
- Understanding of roles responsibilities, limitations and authority.
Components of T/C
1. Daily Community meetings
2. patient’s government or ward council
3. Staff meetings or review
4. living and learning opportunities
1. Daily Community meetings
composed of 60-9- patients. All levels f unit staff including administrative personnel are involved.
2. patient’s government or ward council
Deals with practical unit details such as housekeeping functions, activity planning and privileges. A group of 5-6 patients will have specific responsibilities such as house-kepping, physical exercise, personal hygiene, meal distribution, a group to observe suicidal patients.
Staff members should always be available always. All decisions should be fed-back to the community thus the community meetings.
3. Staff meetings or review
Only the staff meet following each community meeting to examine their own responses, expectations and prejudices.
4. living and learning opportunities
To provide within the social milieu which should provide realistic learning experience for the patients.
Role of Nurse In T/C
- providing and maintaining a safe and conflict free environment through role modeling and group leadership.
- sharing of responsibilities with patients
- encouraging patients to participate in decision making functions
- giving feed-backs
- carrying out supervisory functions.
We hope this information was helpful. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section.