An organizational model of a psychiatric hospital program for the elderly

This article is a summary describing the program planning and initial experience of a new unit for geriatric psychiatry in a private psychiatric hospital. Elderly psychiatric patients, predominantly with diagnoses of depression, alcohol dependency, and dementia, but also other psychiatric illnesses, demonstrate more self-centeredness and less group awareness than do younger patients. Staff members often experience frustration, sadness, and anger in response to working with them. Major problems unique to a geriatric psychiatric unit include the paucity of adequate resources for post-discharge care and the necessity to plan an excellent medical support system.