Our Geriatric Psychiatry Service is located at NSMC Union
Hospital and offers comprehensive care for elderly patients who are
experiencing acute psychiatric disorders, including those complicated by
medical or neurological problems.
We treat older adults with psychiatric and medical illness
as well as patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. We provide patients with the newest approved
treatments. Each patient is assigned a
geriatric psychiatrist and internist, who work together with psychologists,
social workers, mental health assistants, psychiatric nurses and dietitians, as
well as occupational and activity therapists.
Our patients also have access to the expertise of NSMC’s highly
respected medical specialists, as well as physical therapists and language and
swallow evaluations.
Some of the warning signs for geriatric psychiatric
disorders are:
- Disorientation
- Depression
- Severe
memory loss
- Hallucinations
- Increased
social withdrawal
- Suicidal
thoughts or behaviors
- Sleep
disturbances
- Extreme
fluctuations in weight
- Loss
of interest in appearance or self-care
- Socially
inappropriate behavior
- Behavioral
disturbances
NSMC Treatment Services for the elderly
Our 17 bed secure inpatient unit at NSMC Union Hospital
provides 24-hour per day care for adults 65+.
We offer the following treatments in a non-coercive environment:
- Medical
management
- Psychopharmacology
- Occupational
therapy
- Individual
and group therapy
- Family
and couples’ therapy
- ECT
- Recreational
therapy
- Sensory
therapy
- Pet
therapy
- Milieu
therapy
- Psychological
and neuropsychological evaluation
- Spirituality
services
- Discharge
Planning
NSMC Transitional Care for the elderly
Psychiatric outpatient, partial hospitalization services,
and home care programs for the elderly eases the transition for both patients
and families. Partners Home Care can
also coordinate medication assessments, nursing and rehabilitation
therapy.
