Inpatient Care for Mentally III People of Late Age

Abstract

Background: mental health саге reform and reduction of beds capacity in Russia caused shortage of beds in psychiatric hospitals. However it is known about higher need in inpatient psychiatric care among elderly patients. In this regard it became necessary to study how mentioned reform affects inpatient care for such patients.

The goal of the research: to examine the use of a shrinking bed fund for psychiatric care in elderly mental health patients.

Material and methods: the material for the study was data from the reports of Moscow psychiatric hospital #13 about treated patients older than 60 in 2016-2017. Apart from this clinic-epidemiological research of 20% sample of inpatients has been conducted.

Results: it was stated that though bed fund has shrinked in 2017, numerical and age-sex composition of group of treated patients older than 60 did not differ from the analogical group of patients treated in 2016. It was demonstrated that this appeared to be possible due to reduction of length of stay in the hospital (for 10%in average) as well as reduction in patients' re-admissions (from 43.9% in 2016 to 35.4% in 2017). It also important to mention that in 1/3 cases hospitalization of elderly patients caused with social problems. The results of clinic-epidemiological study which confirmed clinical accuracy of reported data revealed that the proportion of elderly patients admitted due to affective disorders is dramatically small which does not corresponds known data about the grows of depression prevalence in old age. Apart from this there found a significant number of schizophrenia cases with notably late onset that again raises a question about specific age of onset for schizophrenia.

Conclusion: the results of the study indicate the necessity for continued research (including economical) in order to optimize activity of the city psychiatric hospitals