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Psychiatric consultations for nursing home residents: a perspective from Turkey and the implications for comparable countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2008

Eylem Sahin Cankurtaran ,
Ibrahim Kutluer ,
Murat Senturk ,
Gulten Bircan Erzin ,
Devrim Gursoy  and
Eray Tombak
Eylem Sahin Cankurtaran*
Affiliation:
Ankara Oncology Research and Training Hospital, Psychiatry Clinic, Ankara, Turkey
Ibrahim Kutluer
Affiliation:
Cubuk Hospital of Government, Neurology Clinic, Cubuk, Ankara, Turkey
Murat Senturk
Affiliation:
Çubuk Suleyman Demirel Home for the Elderly, Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center, Ankara, Turkey
Gulten Bircan Erzin
Affiliation:
Umitkoy Home for the Elderly, Umitkoy, Ankara, Turkey
Devrim Gursoy
Affiliation:
Seyranbaglari Home for the Elderly, Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center, Seyranbaglari, Ankara, Turkey
Eray Tombak
Affiliation:
Çubuk Suleyman Demirel Home for the Elderly, Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center, Ankara, Turkey
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Eylem Sahin Cankurtaran, Ankara Oncology Research and Training Hospital, Psychiatry Clinic, Ahmet Andiçen Hastane Birimi, Kolej, Ankara, Turkey. Phone: +90 312 4340990; Fax: +90 312 4342213. Email: eylemcankurtaran@yahoo.com.
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Abstract

Background: No specialized geriatric psychiatry consultation services are available for elderly people in the institutional care system in Turkey. Our aim was to evaluate psychiatric consultations among the residents of three homes for the elderly in a country with a rapidly aging population, and to investigate possible problems regarding psychiatric consultations.

Methods: The residents of three homes for the elderly, which served partially as “care and rehabilitation centers” (equivalent to nursing homes), were chosen for the study. Data on the use of psychiatric services (mainly patient consultations with a visiting psychiatrist) were collected and analyzed.

Results: The percentage of patients in the three homes for the elderly who had psychiatric consultations between 2005 and 2007 was 31.8% (172/540). The main reasons for referral were forgetfulness (61%), depressive symptoms (37.7%), agitation and disruptive behavior (29.6%), and psychotic symptoms (27.9%). Of these patients, 46.5% were diagnosed with dementia, 20.9% with depression, 20.5% with behavioral and psychotic symptoms of dementia, and 18.6 % with primary psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.

Conclusion: Homes for the elderly in Turkey are not adequate in terms of consultations for psychiatric problems. Integration of these institutions with hospitals and organizing routine consultation visits from the psychiatry units would enhance the mental health of the elderly. Supporting the staff, maintaining good cooperation between them, and organizing educational programs in the field of mental health of the elderly are also required.

Keywords

elderlyinstitutional caredeveloping countriesgeriatric psychiatryconsultationsTurkey
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , August 2008 , pp. 752 - 763
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2008

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