Mental health services for the elderly: current policies & future directions.

The changing demography of this country shows an ever increasing percentage of elderly Americans within the population. Changing public policies will tend to shift the health and mental health care of the elderly more toward the private sector. However, work with the elderly mentally ill has many rewards in the professional, intellectual, and personal spheres. Currently, according to 1982 data, a number of NAPPH member hospitals have services in place to face the coming challenge that will accompany the "greying of America." These, however, will be insufficient. We must use our creative resources to develop more effective approaches to the psychiatric problems of later life.