Psychogeriatric care in the general hospital

This study examines treatment outcome in 52 psychogeriatric patients to help determine the role of the general hospital in psychiatric care of the elderly. The author reviewed the charts of all patients 65 years of age and over admitted to the psychiatric ward from 1974 to 1978. Approximately 80% of this group showed symptom remission. Treatment failures correlated closely with the presence of major organic brain syndrome. Despite an average age of 73.4 years and a high proportion of widowed patients only 10 patients needed new placements on discharge. The author discusses the reluctance of general hospitals to treat the psychogeriatric patient despite the high success rate, the merits of such an active treatment approach and the effect of short-term therapy programs on the treatment of this group.