Primary care physicians serve elders over time in their office and patients' residences. The geropsychiatry issues of depression, dementia, delirium and neurological deficits precipitating psychological symptoms are often overlooked in routine primary care. The geriatrician servicing the generalist can facilitate earlier diagnosis and initiate treatment of mental health problems of the elderly. The teaching geriatrician by organizing a "geriatric assessment" program to improve quality of life of the elders can facilitate earlier diagnosis of dementia and depression of the elderly. Integrating recommendations to practicing primary care physicians who will manage the patient long term is the skill required. This includes aggressive CME education of local PCPs by the team's geriatricians of common mental health problems of the elderly and their treatment. Geriatricians at the community hospital serve as leaders of physician and family awareness of the psychogeriatrics in this model. Teaching generalists servicing local SNF's and assisted living centers directly impacts the mental health of the non-institutionalized elderly. This Geriatric program provides 60 hours of category I geriatrics CME yearly to the local medical community.
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