Geriatric psychiatry consultation in the community.

While increasing emphasis is being placed on geriatric psychiatry consultation and outreach services, there is considerable variation in terms of the composition and direction of these programs. Programs vary in terms of their objectives, location, target population, use of health professions and other resources and their method of consultation. The purposes of this paper are to review the characteristics of existing programs, to review the needs of the targets of consultation and to consider theoretical and methodological approaches which have been found to be useful in mental health/psychiatric consultation, in continuing medical education, and in program evaluation. On the basis of this review, future directions for effective approaches to consultative outreach in geriatric psychiatry will then be proposed.