CentraCare Health – Monticello Proud to Open Innovative Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit
CentraCare Health – Monticello’s Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit has opened to provide comprehensive, 24/7, inpatient psychological and behavioral care to patients 55 years or older who require a secure environment for optimal treatment and management of complex mental health conditions including depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia and dementia.
Learn more now about our Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit and the services provided.
The Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit is the first of its kind to feature an innovative model of care that is led by geriatricians who partner with psychiatrists, nurses and family participation to focus on caring for the whole person. Patients will benefit from the geriatricians’ comprehensive assessment of their overall health in addition to focusing on their mental health needs.
“The best care for complex geriatric patients is characterized by expert team work,” said Nick Schneeman, MD, CEO and Medical Director at Genevive and Medical Director of Geriatric Behavioral Health at CentraCare Health – Monticello. “Older patients rarely have one medical problem but rather present with multimorbidity and geriatric syndromes. This is very true of those seniors suffering from psychiatric distress. Diabetes, hypertension and polypharmacy are all examples of problems that should be managed differently in frail elders. This new unit offers team based care led by a Genevive Geriatrician. So, in addition to accessing the top rate care offered by CentraCare Health Psychiatrists, our patients will have exposure to expert holistic geriatric care that will follow the patient back into the community. We will understand the medical, cognitive, functional, and psychosocial factors that make up the whole and deliver a plan that is tailored and truthful. All of us at Genevive are thrilled to be working on this unique model with our colleagues at CentraCare Health, and we are grateful for a chance to make a difference.”
In addition to psychiatric care, goal development, medication management and family education, patients are encouraged to participate in a variety of supportive services such as pet therapy, baking and cooking, yoga, music therapy, aromatherapy and art therapy to provide socialization, comfort and healing.
“We are proud to open the Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit on our campus,” said Mary Ellen Wells, Administrator at CentraCare Health – Monticello. “Mental health is a topic of concern for many. By providing geriatric behavioral health care, we are not only addressing the concerns of our community but also delivering comprehensive mental health care in partnership with CentraCare Health in St. Cloud, which currently offers adult and adolescent behavioral health care. Our unique, geriatrician led model of care provides a new approach to mental health care for our geriatric population. This innovative program is designed to offer care that addresses the physical and emotional effects of behavioral health issues in a safe, secure and supportive environment for both patients and their loved ones.”
For more information on CentraCare Health – Monticello’s Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit call 763-271-2885.
