Prinsley D M
Br Med J. 1973 Sep 15;3(5880):574-7. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5880.574.
The operation is described of a special psychogeriatric ward of 23 beds set up in 1967 to provide treatment for mentally disturbed elderly patients who could not be kept in a general ward or at home. The unit is in a predominantly geriatric hospital which serves a population of 340,000 and in the four and a half years reviewed 600 patients were admitted. Half of the admissions were emergencies. A consultant geriatrician was in charge and the nursing staff were general trained. The number of beds was found to be adequate for the demand. Few patients had to be transferred to a psychiatric hospital, but, since the mental disturbance was often associated with severe illness and the patients were old, the death rate was high. The nursing staff have found the work interesting and stimulating.
本文描述了1967年设立的一个拥有23张床位的特殊老年精神科病房的运作情况，该病房用于治疗那些无法安置在普通病房或家中的精神错乱老年患者。该病房位于一家主要收治老年患者的医院，服务人口为34万。在回顾的四年半时间里，共收治了600名患者。其中一半的入院患者为急症患者。由一位老年病顾问医生负责，护理人员均接受过一般培训。发现床位数量足以满足需求。很少有患者需要转至精神病医院，但由于精神错乱常常与严重疾病相关，且患者年龄较大，死亡率较高。护理人员发现这项工作有趣且富有挑战性。
