The team approach in a psychogeriatric unit.

The importance of a multidisciplinary team approach was recognized when a 14-bed short-term Psychogeriatric Unit was opened in a psychiatric hospital. The limited time available to the psychiatrist in charge placed a heavy clinical responsibility on the paramedical personnel who formed the team. Initially, role distinctions were kept vague and regarded as not overly important. Six months after the Unit opened, all the staff members filled out a questionnaire. They felt that communication within the team was good, that they could fulfill the role of primary therapist, and that they understood their own roles and those of others. All regarded the psychiatrist as the head of the team. The psychiatrist felt that he had the ultimate responsibility for over-all care of the patients, that any attempt ot blur roles caused problems, and that there had been a partial regression to more traditional patterns. Members of the Unit regarded themselves as a team, able to work together and pool skills in treating patients, and thus play a significant part in total care. This attitude proved more valuable than attempting to break away from the medical model or decrying the importance of roles.