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Geriatric Psychiatry

Program Overview

Ottawa and Brockville Sites

The Geriatric Psychiatry Program of the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (ROHCG) provides a comprehensive range of services to meet the mental health needs of adults 65 years of age and over.

Working together with families, primary care physicians, community psychiatrists and community agencies, our staff helps individuals improve the quality of their life and achieve their optimal level of functioning.

Services are provided in English and French by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.  The Geriatric Program includes Outpatient and Outreach Services, a Day Hospital, as well as Inpatient Units in both Ottawa and Brockville.

Outpatient Service
The Geriatric Outpatient service is a consultation service offering professional advice and psychiatric expertise to referring primary care physicians and psychiatrists.  Follow-up treatment may be offered for selected cases.

This service also provides the initial assessment for all patients referred to the Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital and Inpatient Units.

Outreach Service
The Geriatric Outreach service of Ottawa has been developed to assist administrators, physicians, and direct care staff of long-term care facilities to meet the mental health needs of their residents.

A geriatric psychiatrist and outreach nurse team provide on-site assessments, recommendations and support for the implementation of treatment recommendations.  Case-based learning and formal teaching programs tailored to meet the educational needs of the long-term care staff are also provided.

Geriatric psychiatrists from the ROHCG also provide the physician component to the following geriatric mental health outreach and community services:

  • Renfrew County Geriatric Mental Health Outreach services;
  • Tri-county Mental Health Services geriatric team;
  • Lanark County Geriatric Mental Health Outreach services; and
  • Leeds-Grenville Geriatric Mental Health Outreach services.

All community services provide consultation to primary care physicians and psychiatrists, as well as comprehensive geriatric assessments and a period of treatment when required for selected cases.

Day Hospital
The Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital provides day treatment and crisis intervention for persons who require urgent and intensive treatment, but can live safely in the community.  This service can accommodate a total of 45 participants in the English and French components of the program.

The Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital provides assessment as well as individual and group treatment.  The group process provides the basic structure of daily programming.  The average length of stay for patients is approximately 12 to 16 weeks.

Ottawa Inpatient Service
Patients with severe, multiple and/or complex psychiatric illnesses may be admitted to this 26-bed geriatric psychiatry unit for specialized treatment.  Patients have been evaluated by a geriatric psychiatrist either in a community clinic, a long-term care facility or a hospital prior to admission. 

This service is a resource for the entire Champlain District and admissions are prioritized by the referring geriatric psychiatrists who recommended admission. 

Length of stay is approximately 4 to 6 weeks.  Planning for follow-up and/or continuation of care after discharge from the inpatient service starts early, as we need to maintain access to this scarce resource in our district.  The transition back to the patient's previous residence is facilitated by outreach and day hospital services as appropriate.

Brockville Inpatient Service
Patients with severe, multiple and/or complex psychiatric illnesses that require a longer period of hospitalization than can be provided in the Ottawa Inpatient service may be admitted to this 30-bed geriatric psychiatry unit located in Brockville.  

Patients have all had a period of treatment in a psychiatric facility and a comprehensive geriatric psychiatry assessment prior to being admitted to this service.  

Length of stay can range from a few to several months.  The transition back to the patient's previous care facility or residence is facilitated by the appropriate local outreach team.