Community psychiatric services for the elderly: the Sunnybrook experience

This paper describes the first three years of a community outreach service for psychogeriatric assessment and treatment, provided by a multidisciplinary team in an urban area. As one component of a comprehensive geriatric psychiatry service within a general hospital, this program provides a long-term link between patient, family, community agencies and hospital. The paper describes the functioning of the team, including its relationships with other hospital and community services. An overview is given of patient characteristics, referral sources, services provided, and outcomes at discharge from the program. Educational opportunities for students and staff in various health professions and settings are discussed.