Where did all the programs go?

Seven Counties Services, Our Lady of Peace, and Norton’s Hospital are big names in the mental health field in Louisville, Kentucky.  Each institution is well-known for their psychiatric and clinical work in the community, but it may be lesser known that these companies at one time had programs that provided clinical services to the aging population.  But, why did these programs shut down when there is such a great need for this niche in mental health services?  The situations in which each institution closed their respective programs is not cookie-cutter, but there is one thing they have in common: lack of money (R. Smith, personal communication, June 16, 2014). 

The low reimbursement from Medicare does not give much income to such programs, and many older adults cannot afford services on their own dime.  Our Lady of Peace’s geriatric program was suddenly closed a little over two and a half years ago, leaving behind only a general adult mental health services unit that could serve the aging population.  However, adult mental health services does not comprehensively taken into consideration the unique position individuals in late adulthood operate.  With the aging population, there are likely confounding age-related physical health disabilities and problems that require special attention such as, helping professionals realizing the interactions between psychotropic medications and other medicines for physical ailments.  Furthermore, when Norton’s Hospital Landis Geriatric Psychology Center was closed, the University of Louisville Hospital stepped up to meet the need of this population by opening a similar unit with 20 beds and target population of older adults with psychiatric and behavioral concerns (Gordon, 2004).  Nevertheless, lack of funding and inadequate reimbursement from Medicare results in heavy financial pressures that often keep the remaining gerontology psychiatric units at capacity and understaffed (R. Smith, personal communication, June 16, 2014). 

What has happened and is still happening to psychiatric units for older adults in Louisville, Kentucky can be seen throughout the United States.  Professional social workers need to get out in their communities and advocate for improved mental health services for this population! On a national level, helping professionals can offer their support to the Positive Aging Act.  This bill has a long list of well-known, well-respected organizational supporters such as, the American Association on Aging, Gerontological Society of America, Alliance for Aging Research, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, etc. (American Psychological Association, 2013).  The Positive Aging Act seeks to improve the quality of the aging population’s mental health by requiring more mental health screenings, accessible and appropriate referrals and consultations, and additional grants for community-based mental health treatment facilities and researchers (American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2012).  Read more about the bill at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:S.1119:

Above image retrieved from http://allianceonaging.org/advocate/

References

American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry. (2012). Positive Aging Act fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.aagponline.org/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=FactSheetPositiveAgingAct&category=Advocacy

American Psychological Association. (2013). Positive Aging Act of 2013. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/about/gr/pi/news/2013/positive-aging.aspx

J., Gordon. (2004). University Hospital opens geriatric psychiatry unit. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2004/06/14/story6.html?page=all