ABSTRACT
Old age psychiatry deals with the mental health problems of elderly people. As a discipline, it is characterised by enthusiastic multidiciplinary and interagency working in response to the biological, psychological and social complexity presented by old people who are mentally ill. Old age psychiatry has a primary community focus, insisting on the importance of home-based assessment and care. The World Health Organisation (WHO) consensus statement on old age psychiatry has recently affirmed that assessments should be carried out in the patient’s home. Unlike many principles, these appear to be the reality of clinical practice, with nine out of ten old age psychiatric referrals seen at home rather than in outpatient clinics.
