title: Determining the impact of establishing a psychogeriatric outreach team network in long-term care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective of this study was to describe a model for specialized psychogeriatric consultation to long-term care homes in a large metropolitan Canadian city and to provide an overview of the diagnostic and demographic data of patients referred for assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty long-term care homes and 13 geriatric mental health outreach teams were surveyed and provided feedback on the model. A retrospective chart review (N=88) was also conducted to confirm the survey results and to provide an overview of the types of patients being seen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Team data indicated that 96% of the homes they served (N=81) were using their services, that all referrals were appropriate, and that their recommendations were implemented in over 50% of cases. Referred patients tended to be older (41% age 85 or older); were referred mainly for agitation, aggression, or depressed mood (over 90%); and mainly had a mood or cognitive disorder (over 90%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary data suggest that the implementation of specialized psychogeriatric consultation to long-term care may be beneficial, but future studies are required to clarify its usefulness.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Service, Kennan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St., Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada. fischerc@smh.ca
authors.forename: Corinne Eleanor
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.forename: James Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Golea
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wasylenki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D009864:Ontario; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies