A geropsychiatric unit without walls.
The continued population growth of people over the age of 65 correlates with the growth in the number of older people who experience a mental health crisis or frank mental illness. Currently there is a paucity of treatment programs that are specialized for the geropsychiatric patient. Given the limitations of finances and human resources as well as the constraints sometimes imposed by regulatory agencies, interdisciplinary health care workers are challenged to provide optimum care in traditional settings. This article describes how an inpatient psychiatric unit can be modified to replicate some of the best practices of a designated geropsychiatric unit with positive results.
Nadler-Moodie
Marlene
M
Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California 92130, USA. mnm@san.rr.com
Gold
Jerry
J
D000368:Aged; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration; D002140:California; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010343:Patient Admission; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*