Geriatric Wellness Unit
Caring, Compassionate Behavioral Health Experts for Your Loved Ones
The aging process often causes many physical, emotional and cognitive challenges for the individual and those who love them. Such challenges may lead to depression and isolation, anxiety, physical and emotional adjustments that can impact important aspects of functioning such as appropriate nutrition, hygiene, and the overall interactions with loved ones.
Finding resources to address the needs of your loved one can be challenging. That is why Johnson Memorial Hospital has committed to develop a special program to offer resources for our communities. At Johnson we have created a state-of-the-art new unit to help individuals and caretakers clarify questions regarding diagnosis and develop a clear path to attend to identified needs.
The Geriatric Wellness Unit is a 15-bed, Medicare-certified service designed to diagnose and treat the complex problems related to individuals 55 years and older.
A multidisciplinary team provides an individualized treatment plan based on comprehensive diagnostic procedures. Once a problem is identified, the team in collaboration with family and loved ones put in action a plan that is carried with compassion and guided by experts in the field.
Our goal is to maintain and improve each patient’s self-respect and dignity. We strive to return patients to their living environments within nine to 12 days.
About Johnson Memorial Hospital’s Geriatric Wellness Unit
In group and individual sessions, our program focuses on the stressful issues associated with aging such as grief, loneliness, coping with illness or physical disability, changing roles and status, death and dying, conflicts with adult children and aggression due to multiple medications.
Diagnoses treated include:
- Dementia with related behavioral and/or emotional conditions
- Mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder
- Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Schizophrenia
Expert Evaluation and Personalized Treatment Plans
Our team of experts in the behavioral health field will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the patient’s physical and mental condition to form the basis for diagnosis and treatment planning.
Our staff offers resources and referrals if our program is not appropriate for you or your loved one.
Each patient admitted and treated in our Geriatric Wellness Unit will receive follow-up phone calls from staff periodically to discuss any situation that might be a cause for concern, for up to one year.
Unique Program Features from Our Experts
Some of the unique features of the geriatric wellness unit:
- Comprehensive medical and psychological evaluation
- Individualized treatment plan
- Individual, group and family therapy
- Activity therapy
- Therapeutic exercise/stress reduction
- Medication management and education
Warning Signs of Possible Geriatric Behavioral Health Problems
The first sign that something is wrong often occurs when a person suddenly stops caring for himself. Talk to your primary care provider or visit our Emergency Department if you know of someone 55 or older who is experiencing any of these symptoms:
- Depression or personality changes
- Numerous, unexplained physical ailments/changes in eating/sleeping patterns
- Confused thinking, inability to concentrate and/or memory loss
- Excessive fears, anxiety or suspiciousness
- Withdrawal from family, friends and others
- Abuse of medications
- Misuse of alcohol or other substances
- Growing inability to cope with daily living resulting in unsafe behaviors
- Hallucinations/delusions
Caring professionals assist families and patients in identifying the areas they want to improve in their behavioral health and answer questions by offering information about behavioral health services, patient assessments, pre-certification of patients prior to admission and information about other services available within the patient’s community.