Psychiatry older people
Services
ELDERLY PEOPLE PSYCHIATRY
Senior Psychiatry Services
The branch of psychology or psychiatry specializing in the mental health of the elderly is psychogeriatrics. At this age, the presentation of the most frequent symptoms and diseases requires a specific and specialized type of evaluation and treatment. Maturity is a stage in which we deserve to rest and enjoy free time, family and everything that we have generated in our life. However, the changes typical of this vital stage can carry a great emotional burden, favoring the appearance of psychological problems. From the limitations of physical changes, such as the experiences that maturity entails, sometimes older people require emotional support. On the other hand, it is very important to differentiate between neuropsychological problems such as memory impairment, and psychological or psychiatric problems such as depression. One of the main characteristics of depression is an alteration in attention span and memory, which can be mistaken for cognitive impairment (pseudodementia). When the elderly person begins to feel down most of the time, especially irritable or confused, it is advisable to carry out a psychological evaluation to determine as soon as possible if the discomfort is due to a mood disorder or the origin is neuropsychological. With proper treatment, the patient's quality of life will improve substantially, allowing him to fully enjoy his day to day life.
