Psychiatry of Later Life

Caring for the mental health needs of the elderly was part of the founding character of our hospital when it opened in 1882. From the beginning, elderly people have been cared for in a specialized unit with the hospital. The assessment and treatment programmes cover the wide range of psychiatric disorders which occur in old age.

Saint Raphael's Suite, where the specialized unit is located, adheres to the principle of the elderly person receiving treatment in an age-appropriate milieu.

Also within Saint Raphael's Suite is Carrig Dubh a specialized unit to assess and treat elderly patients with behavioural and psychiatric problems sometimes associated with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, head injuries and alcohol-induced brain damage.

In years past, for many patients Saint Raphael's Suite was their home. Today, the policy is to provide assessment and short-term treatment.

When it is appropriate to do so, patients return to their own homes and carers. The contribution which many family members, and particularly primary carers, make to the elderly person's quality of life is vital.

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