Geriatric Psychiatry

Depression is one of the most common reasons why patients seek treatment in our Senior Behavioral Health unit. This mental illness affects approximately 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65 — almost one in five seniors. For adults aged 55 and older, the physical, mental, and environmental changes that accompany this stage of life can be difficult to process and manage.

To be eligible for admission, one or more of the following criteria must be met:

• A recent suicide attempt 
• Homicidal thoughts, secondary to a mental health issue 
• Memory impairment that challenges the welfare of self or others, if secondary to a mental health issue 
• Monitoring required for psychotropic medication stabilization, including toxic effects if cleared medically 
• Psychiatric symptoms causing bizarre or disordered behavior 
• Psychiatric symptoms causing one to not be able to care for themselves, including impaired family, social and vocational functions 
• Self-harming behavior 
• A sudden change in cognition such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, etc. 
• Suicidal thoughts with plan, intent and/or means 
• Unmanageable psychiatric symptoms that are resistant to medication or therapeutic treatment at a lower level of care (i.e. residential or outpatient treatment).

Please note: The are some circumstances in which a behavioral health setting is not appropriate, such as an acute medical condition, intellectual disability, traumatic brain injury, violent behavior or poor impulse control, among others. Any condition that is beyond our resources, including the capacity of staff and environment to treat the patient in a safe manner, could be considered unsuitable for inpatient treatment.