Psychogeriatric Services at Certified Home Health Agencies: Case Reports and Guidelines for Psychiatric Consultants

Because of the unmet mental health needs of older persons in the community, Medicare-certified home health agencies are increasingly taking the role of health providers. Here the authors review their experience and argue that the pathology seen in home mental health care situations is similar to that seen by specialized mental health outreach teams. Also the relations between the home care team and the psychiatric consultant require skillful management even when the team are mental health specialists. The authors offer guidelines for psychiatric consultants, given the extent to which home care services survive in a volatile, cost-contained environment.