Liaison referrals to a department of psychiatry for the elderly 1984–5

AbstractPatients referred for liaison consultation to a Department of Psychiatry for the Elderly were studied over 12 months. One hundred and twelve patients were referred by hospital doctors and most of these were seen on consultations within the hospital. These patients had more physical problems than those referred from the community over that period. The absence of a formal psychiatric diagnosis does not mean that psychiatric skills cannot be useful in managing a patient. Many elderly physically ill people present complex problems and the old age psychiatry service can play a valuable role in providing liaison consultations to other departments within the general hospital.