Geropsychiatry at Northwest Hospital Inpatient Unit

Patient Care

Become proficient in the inpatient and outpatient management of common psychiatric problems of the elderly, including dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and delirium.
Perform initial assessments of decompensated elderly patients, including evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive and functional abilities, and medical comorbidity.
Diagnose and understand special aspects of anxiety and depression presenting in elderly patients with complex medical or situational problems.
Observe electroconvulsive therapy and understand indications, risks, and benefits
Generate initial treatment plans, including appropriate first-line treatment modalities and management strategies.

Medical knowledge

Develop expertise in the diagnostic criteria for dementia; understand the most common types, and how to differentiate them.
Understand the available nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments for dementia and depression, and the evidence behind them.
Become facile with the use of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments for the Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

Practice-based learning and improvement

Recognize the criteria for referral to a geropsychiatry inpatient unit.
Recognize the criteria for referral to a geropsychiatry outpatient consult.
Locate and critically appraise scientific literature relevant to patient care and use evidence from the literature in clinical decision making, as appropriate.

Interpersonal and communication skills

Create and sustain effective therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and caregivers.
Display empathic listening skills.
Work effectively with health care professionals (including those from other disciplines), colleagues, and staff to provide patient-focused care.

Professionalism

Demonstrate respect for others, compassion.
Demonstrate reliable attendance and appropriate professional attire.
Demonstrate integrity, accountability, responsible and ethical behavior.
Demonstrate "ownership", i.e. attitudes and behaviors consistent with being the patient's physician and taking responsibility to ensure that each patient receives excellent clinical care.
Demonstrate understanding of patients and their illnesses in a sociocultural context, including displaying sensitivity to patients' culture, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual minority status, and/or disabilities.
Demonstrate concise, pertinent, and timely record keeping.

Systems-based practice

Understand the role of the attending geropsychiatrist in the health care system, and how to use him/her appropriately as a consultant.
Gain knowledge of appropriate long-term placement for patients with dementia and chronic mental illness within our community.
Adequately assess the nature and quality of the patient's caregiving network, including primary care physicians, subspecialty physicians, family members, social network, nursing home staff.

Educational Attitudes