What does a consultant psychiatrist for older adults do?

What does a consultant psychiatrist for older adults do?

Old age psychiatrists (OAP) are doctors who provide specialised and holistic assessment, treatment and continuing care for older adults (or those with similar needs) who suffer from a range of mental health problems including dementia and other disorders including depression and schizophrenia.

Which psychiatric disorders are commonly seen in older adults?

It is estimated that 20% of people age 55 years or older experience some type of mental health concern (6). The most common conditions include anxiety, severe cognitive impairment, and mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder) (6).

What does a geriatric psychiatrist do?

Geriatric psychiatrists focus on prevention, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders in the elderly and improvement of psychiatric care for healthy and ill elderly patients.

What is the most common mental illness in the elderly?

The most common mental and neurological disorders in this age group are dementia and depression, which affect approximately 5% and 7% of the world’s older population, respectively.

Is psychiatry a subspecialty?

The field of psychiatry has many subspecialties that require additional (fellowship) training which are certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) and require Maintenance of Certification Program (MOC) to continue. These include the following: Clinical neurophysiology. Forensic psychiatry.

What is the role of the psychiatric liaison who works in the ED?

One such option is the introduction of a psychiatric liaison nurse to the A & E department, who can liaise with A & E staff and with all available psychiatric services to offer optimal treatment for a patient. Such a service can obviate the need for involving psychiatric services directly on the day a patient presents.

What is the most common cause of depression in older adults?

Physical conditions like stroke, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, cancer, dementia, and chronic pain further increase the risk of depression. Additionally, these risk factors for depression are often seen in older adults: Certain medicines or combination of medicines.

Why is dementia not a mental illness?

Is dementia a mental illness? No, it is a condition of the brain. Our brain is our control centre and it controls everything we do and say and think. When the brain is sick we have problems with all our actions, including remembering, speaking, understanding and learning new skills.