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Geriatric Psychiatry - Inpatient Services

What are Inpatient Services?

Located at the Providence Care - Mental Health Services site in Kingston, Inpatient Services care for, in a hospital setting, seniors with dementia complicated by significant behavioural and/or psychiatric symptoms.

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What do Inpatient Services do?

The mental health care professionals of Inpatient Services assess, treat, rehabilitate and stabilize clients to prepare them for discharge to an appropriate setting. Clients are cared for in three secure Geriatric Inpatient Psychiatry Units.

Geriatric Psychiatry Assessment Unit (GPA – Ward 25)

This unit assesses and treats seniors living with dementia who are having disturbances in behaviour. Once clients achieve their best level of functioning, the are discharged to the least restrictive care environment, which is usually a long-term care home. If discharge is not possible, the client is transferred to one of the two longer-stay units described below - the Continuing Care Male Unit or the Geriatric Psychiatry Continuing Care Unit.

Continuing Care Male Unit (CCM – Ward 24)

This unique ongoing rehabilitation and stabilization unit is for male clients who have complex psychiatric illnesses and associated challenging behaviours which are compounded by a diagnosis of dementia. The goal of the unit is to discharge clients to the least restrictive care environment.

Geriatric Psychiatry Continuing Care (GPCC – Ward 26)

This unit provides longer-term rehabilitation and stabilization for seniors with psychiatric challenges and/or cognitive impairment who are experiencing behavioural disturbances and complex age-related physical changes. The goal of the unit is to discharge clients to the least restrictive care environment.

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Who is eligible for Inpatient Services?

Inpatient Services care for seniors with dementia complicated by significant behavioural and/or psychiatric symptoms.

NOTE: Younger people with age-related cognitive impairment and behavioural and/or psychiatric disturbances may also be admitted to Inpatient Services.

Clients who fulfill all of the following criteria are eligibile to be admitted to Inpatient Services:

  • Individuals with late onset dementia and behavioural problems who require geriatric psychiatric inpatient care, and
  • Individuals who are medically stable, and
  • Individuals who have identified treatment decision makers.

NOTE: Individuals may be admitted on a voluntary basis, if willing and competent. In cases of incompetence, and where admission is deemed necessary, two legislated options are available:

The Mental Health Act

The Mental Health Act ensures the safety of those suffering from a mental disorder, as well as the security of the wider public. According to this Act, a physician may authorize the assessment, within 72 hours, of a person who is a danger to self, others, or is refusing to, or is incapable of, voluntarily consenting to be admitted for psychiatric care.

The Health Care Consent Act

The Health Care Consent Act allows the appointment of a Substitute Decision Maker for a person suffering from a mental disorder who is incompetent and unable to make treatment decisions.

Important: Under normal circumstances, all clients are first seen at a Schedule 1 Psychiatric facility. Admission may be arranged directly to the Geriatric Psychiatry Service at Providence Continuing Care Centre - Mental Health Services in Kingston if admission has been granted, in advance, by the admitting attending physician.

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How is a patient referred to Inpatient Services?

Clients are usually referred to Inpatient Services from the client's family physician or other most responsible physician. If no beds are available, referrals are prioritized by urgency and need. Direct referrals to the Intake Triage Nurse of Geriatric Psychiatry Services located at Providence Continuing Care Centre - Mental Health Services, Kingston.

  • Intake Triage Nurse - Geriatric Psychiatry Services
  • Phone: (613) 548-5567 ext. 5932, Fax: (613) 548-5569

There is no referral form for admission requests to Inpatient Services. The Intake Triage Nurse will get appropriate client information from their family physician, family and or friends and other community partners.

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What happens after a referral to Inpatient Services?

After referral, the client's family physician and family (or Substitute Decision Maker) are told about the client's admission date to Inpatient Services. The Geriatric Psychiatry Service triage nurse will explain to the family (or Substitute Decision Maker) what to expect from the client's admission to Inpatient Services. A multidisciplinary team of mental health care professionals will assess the client's condition. Following the assessment, Inpatient Services will meet with the family (or Substitute Decision Maker) to discuss the client's condition, answer questions and help them better understand the client’s diagnosis and treatment plan.

Following the assesment and intervention, the goal of Inpatient Servces is to discharge the client to the least restrictive environment. The majority of clients will require Long-term Care Home support. The planning of the client's discharge includes the family (or Substitute Decision Maker). Whenever possible, the client departs from the hospital on a Leave of Absence for up to three weeks.

Support of the client after discharge is done by a variety of strategies including follow-up by:

  • Inpatient Service health care professionals,
  • the locally-based Geriatric Psychiatry Outreach Team, and/or
  • a Psychogeriatric Resource Consultant.

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