Medical Staff Only
Outpatient Services
In Outpatient Geriatric Psychiatry, the group therapist works with patients who can be helped by the group experience and who can be learning partners for one another. In meetings, people are encouraged to talk with each other in a spontaneous and honest fashion. The therapist provides productive examination of the issues or concerns affecting the individuals and the group while guiding the discussion.
Not every group is alike. There are a variety of styles that are used in outpatient groups. For instance, some will focus more on interpersonal development, where much of the learning actually comes from the interaction between members. Others will address thoughts and behaviors, where the emphasis is on learning how to control negative thoughts, address phobias or relieve anxiety-inducing situations.
Group psychotherapy also provides a support network for specific problems or challenges. The psychotherapy group is different from support and self-help groups in that it not only helps people cope with their problems, but also provides for change and growth. Support groups, which are generally led by professionals, help people cope with difficult situations at various times but are usually geared toward alleviating symptoms. Self-help groups usually focus on a particular shared symptom or situation and are usually not led by a trained therapist.
When someone is thinking about joining a group it is normal to have questions or concerns. What I am going to get out of this? Will there be enough time to deal with my own problems in a group setting? What if I don’t like the people in my group?
Joining a group is useful because it provides opportunities to learn with and from other people, to understand one’s own patterns of thought and behavior and those of others, and to perceive how group members react to one another. We live and interact with people every day and often there are things that other people experience or grappling with that can be beneficial to share with others. In group therapy, you lean that perhaps you’re not as different as you think or that you are not alone. You’ll meet and interact with people, and the whole group learns to work on shared problems —one of the most beneficial aspects. The more you involve yourself in the group, the more you get out of it.
Most patients begin the outpatient program by attending group one or more times per week (our groups meet Monday through Thursday). Eventually, as patients may progress toward their own individualized treatment goals, the schedule may be reduced to one or two groups per moth. Many patients conclude their treatment after 10-15 sessions; some stay longer. The program is voluntary and decisions are collaborative between the patient and the patient’s family or close support persons (if the patient wants this), the physician, the group therapists, and the clinical coordinator.
Inpatient Unit
Our Inpatient unit provides intensive medical-psychiatric treatment and medication stabilization in a homelike setting. Our patients are typically 55 years and older with a primary psychiatric problem. Patients are treated by the primary admitting physician who is a geropsychiatrist and a medical physician.
Admissions
Are available to our inpatient unit 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
Initial screening is usually done through telephone contact. The admissions coordinator (during regular business hours) or the Charge Nurse on the unit (evenings and weekends) will gather initial information to determine if the client being referred meets Medicare criteria for acute inpatient hospital stay. If there is no recent medical workup, the client may be referred to their local emergency room for medical clearance prior to admission.
There is always someone available to consult with the caller as to resources and options, even if inpatient stay is not needed or appropriate.