Senior Mental Health Assessment: Geriatric Mental Health Consultation in the General Hospital and Nursing Facility

Traditional mental health care settings are inadequate to meet the needs of older adults. Mental health specialists must adapt their expectations and approach to be effective in alternative venues and to diversity their portfolio of practice sites to ensure financial viability. These sites include acute care hospitals, extended care facilities, senior citizen centers, retirement communities, and certified home health agencies. The opportunity to involve a patient=s family is challenged by a patient=s financial barriers, diagnosis, mental status, and the culture of the medical community. A summary of research is presented regarding mental health consultation with older adults involving a health team approach and the family in two settings: acute care hospitals and extended care facilities. Recommendations are offered based on this research to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the mental health consultant (therapist/liaison).