[Geriatric psychiatry in the regimen of community psychiatry. 2. Psychiatric consultation service at a primary care community nursing home for the physically handicapped].

In January 1988, three gerontopsychiatric teams were established in the Copenhagen County Hospital, Nordvang. One of their rasks was to supply outpatient psychiatric service for nursing homes. The object of this investigation was to investigate how much this offer was utilised, and assessment of this service by the nursing homes in a geographically delimited region consisting of 11 primary communities. The investigation was retrospective. Where all of the patients were concerned, the following were registered: age, sex, diagnosis and residence at the conclusion of treatment. After 12 months, a questionnaire was sent to all departments in nursing homes with questions about whether they had utilised this offer and how they had assessed it. During the period from 1.1.1988 to 31.12.1988, 184 patients were referred corresponding to 7.6% of all residents in nursing homes. Two gerontopsychiatric teams had had contact with 80 out of 116 possible departments and had arranged teaching about psychiatric illness in elderly persons in 39 out of 48 nursing homes. The consultant service given included individual diagnosis and treatment and also teaching and advice to the staff. The positive assessment reflected the need for a gerontopsychiatric service in nursing homes. An offer of gerontopsychiatric service should be included in the total community psychiatric service.