To the social, economical and medical problems that old age arises to the society, one may add the continue increase of old people proportion in the general population. The aging of population is becoming a reality in developed and in less developed countries as well. The increased frequency of mental health problems of the elderly, require a multidisciplinary approach to assessment, diagnosis and treatment. For the elderly, social isolation and loneliness are among the most frequent cause of hospitalization and its length and cause of placement in nursing homes.
1. What we generally expect from OAP? - the specialty of Old Age Psychiatry (Consensus statement 1996) - education (Consensus statement 1998) - the organization of services (Consensus statement 1997) 2. How OAP is organized in Eastern Europe countries?
Background and current and future activities. Issue defined in individual countries: Lithuania,Yugoslavia, Poland, Turkey, Czech Republic, Romania
3. Old Age Psychiatry in Romania Mental health services for elderly in Romania: In-patient assessment/ treatment units for acutely ill; Long-stay accommodations/ Continuing hospital care (Nucet); Day-hospitals (Bucuresti, Oradea, Iasi, Timisoara); Out-patient or community assessment units (Bucuresti, Timisoara, Iasi, Oradea); Hospital respite care (Oradea); Primary care/ Residential care; Community mental health centre for older people (Oradea); Memory clinic (Bucuresti); Community and social support services (organised by NGOs and churches); Clubs for elderly (Satu Mare, Sibiu); Prevention
A new strategy in approaching mental health in the range of all psychiatric services must take the following into consideration: integration of mental health care, creation of services adequate to specific needs of patients, by types of disorders and by their personalities, cultural and educational level, continuity of care, by cooperation among various services providers, principle of geographical catchment areas.
We analyze the activity in: Memory Center Bucharest- organized inside of University Hospital; Community Care Centre for the Third Age-Oradea, organized by a NGO; Old Age Psychiatry ward in the Psychiatry Hospital Nucet (the first one in Romania, founded in November, 1995 with 42 beds attended by 1 physician and 12 nurses and medical attendants).
Conclusions: · Pharmachoterapy is not the only treatment modality in the psychiatry of late life disorders. · Using the community care we can improve the frail old age mentally ill patients’ quality of life · Primary care physicians (GP) have a responsibility to recognize psychiatric illness in the elderly and send them to a psychiatrist or community mental health care center to insure that their later years are as healthy as possible.
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