title: Outcome of psychogeriatric intervention in an old-age home: a 3 years follow-up study.
abstract: Psychogeriatrics and especially psychiatric services in nursing and old-age homes are sorely lacking in research. Four years ago we developed and implemented a model for service delivery for old-age homes within our hospitals' catchment area. In the first year of operation 48 of 373 residents (13%) were evaluated and treated by a psychogeriatrician. The aim of the present study was to evaluate outcome of these patients three years later. All patients and medical records were re-assessed. During the three-year period 16/48 subjects (33.3%) passed away; of these half were previously diagnosed as suffering from a major depressive episode. None of the subjects who died had attempted suicide. Following a preliminary diagnosis of affective spectrum disorder, 4/48 patients (8.3%) were re-diagnosed at follow up as suffering from dementia. Full or partial remission of the original symptomatology was achieved in 18/32 surviving subjects (50.7%); mostly depressed or anxious patients. We conclude that although mortality rate among elderly psychiatric patients is high persistent interventions lead to successful remission in the majority of patients.
authors.affiliation: Abarbanel Mental Health Center and the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elizur
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Barak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009735:Nursing Homes; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care