By Linda Ruiz


Psychogeriatrics is also called old age psychiatry, geropsychiatry, or geriatric psychiatry. As a subspecialty of psychiatry, it studies, diagnoses, prevents, treats, and evaluates mental disorders that aged people suffer from. It emphasizes on how chronic and acute illnesses psychiatrically affect aging people. It also emphasizes psychological and biological aspects in normal aging process. When in need of understanding geriatric psychiatry Apex should be the place to visit first.

Health care professionals who specialize in the provision of psychiatric services to old people are referred to as geriatric psychiatrists. They undergo further training in form of fellowships for one year or more in the field to acquire special training to be able to dispense the service. The practitioners understand that old people have special social, emotional, and physical needs.

Late-life schizophrenia, dementia, anxiety, and depression are but a few of psychiatric disorders psychiatrists handle. During diagnostic evaluations, patients are asked to explain and express their feelings and views about their situations. Treatment prescribed according to the explanation of the client may involve family members too. Assistance accorded to clients may be a result of collective effort from professionals in other professions. Final decisions are made after all underlying factors are understood properly.

Treatment plans may be formulated by the expert alone or may involve the collective effort of other professionals too. Decisions made and treatments formulated integrate family issues, medical illnesses, medications, environmental issues, and social concerns. It is believed that each of the factors named above have a part to play in influencing the life of an old person or anyone for that matter.

It may be hard to determine who and when to seek geriatric help. It is worth noting that strict laws do not apply on age of people who can seek the help. Most jurisdictions may define advanced age as 70 years however. This can however vary from one jurisdiction to another with others setting it lower and other higher. Signs that show that one should seek psychiatric help include difficulty coping with situations like depression, death, change, and stress.

Additional signs may comprise of anxiety, having poor sleep, agitation from dementia, memory problems, and dementia in the family history. Some people are known to have emotional problems for the first time in old age hence being prepared is advisable. Adults suffering from Parkinson disease, diabetes, chronic pain, stroke, and heart diseases are susceptible to experiencing emotional problems. Such situations are well understood by practitioners in this field because of the training they receive. Members of the family are also advised on methods of coping with the ailing individual. More appropriate referrals may also be made to seek better suited services.

The medical team of an aging person should comprise a geriatric psychiatrist. The practitioners provide doctors with advice concerning complicated situations such as ones that involve both mental and medical conditions. Nurses are also educated about independent and long term living. Patients are supported by psychiatrists in many ways such as through community education, public policy advocacy, and directing of home health workers.

The pay received by the experts in this field is related to that of others in the same field. Training is similar with little variation at the end. Employment is available in many private and public organizations.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

top