Patient services

Geriatric psychiatric services

Our Inpatient Geriatric Program is a brief, acute treatment program designed to address a wide range of psychiatric disorders that require hospitalization. This highly specialized program provides acute care to gero-psychiatric patients with psychiatric symptoms often in the context of co-occurring medical disorders. From this program, geriatric patients may be referred to the General Adult Intensive Outpatient Program.

The eight-bed program treats patients age 65 and older who are in need of an intensive and safe setting. The Geriatric Service also serves patients between the ages of 55 and 65 who have dementia or when there is a patient or referrer request. A complete psychiatric assessment and full treatment program includes crisis intervention, family consultation and rehabilitative intervention as the core modalities.

The Gero-Psychiatric team is highly skilled at completing comprehensive assessments and intervening in highly complex cases involving an interplay of medical, psychiatric, functional and psychosocial issues. The Geriatric Program serves patients with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses and complex biopsychosocial problems. The most commonly treated diagnoses include dementia, psychosis and mood disorders. The most commonly treated functional problems include impaired activities of daily living, cognitive disorganization and disruptive behaviors.

Clinical services may include:

• Comprehensive and multidisciplinary biopsychosocial evaluation
• Psychopharmacologic evaluation and management
• Psychological and brief neuropsychological assessment
• Safety and independent living skills evaluation
• Stabilization of the patient's acute psychiatric conditions
• Crisis-oriented family therapy and psychoeducation; caregiver support
• Psychosocial rehabilitation/recreational therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT) when indicated
• Discharge planning
• Case management and collaboration with medicine, neurology, outpatient clinicians and other community agencies to (1) facilitate an integrated approach, (2) establish comprehensive transition plans and (3) promote the patient's optimal functioning
• Consultation to nursing homes for patients hospitalized at YNHPH

Typical conditions and common problems seen in the elderly

Cognitive disorders

• Higher prevalence of mild cognitive disorder
• Higher prevalence of dementing illness. The prevalence for dementia in the elderly varies from 10 percent to 60 percent
• Higher incidence of psychological and behavioral problems in dementia including apathy, irritability, wandering, shouting and sexually inappropriate behavior. The incidence varies from 40 percent to 90 percent.

Mood disorders

• Major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders are common in the elderly and they are highly likely to occur with other medical and psychiatric conditions.

Psychiatric conditions due to a general medical condition

• Higher prevalence of delirium, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and psychotic disorders due to a general medical condition in the elderly.

Suicide

• About 25 percent of the total number of suicides are among the elderly, despite the fact that the elderly account for only about 16 - 17 percent of the total population.

Polypharmacy

• Risk of drug interactions is much higher in the elderly. The incidences of adverse drug reactions are also higher in the elderly.

Abuse

• The incidence of abuse, especially neglect, is higher in the elderly.

Grief

• Prevalence of issues associated with bereavement is much higher in the elderly.

Decision-making

• A lack of capacity to make decisions regarding life situations is higher among the elderly.

Information or referrals
Admission (203) 688-9907
E-mail

Last revised: December 8, 2004 (jj)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.