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PHOTO BY Tom Croke
Don Davidoff, Ph.D., chief of neuropsychology at McLean Hospital, notes that three-quarters of patients on the regular geriatric unit are treated for depression.

Treating mental illness in the elderly: achieving stability through inpatient care

By Phyllis Hanlon

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that approximately 5.6 to 8 million Americans 65 and older have mental health or substance use disorders; those figures are expected to double in the next 15 years, precipitating a tremendous burden on an already overburdened health care system. Although community-based care is preferred, inpatient care still remains important as a line of defense in stabilizing individuals and creating long-term solutions. McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. has two separate geriatric psychiatry units, one serving individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and the other for patients with non-dementia related psychiatric diagnoses, according to Don Davidoff, [More]

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