Some preliminary remarks on psychogeriatry
Give me a free mind,
who does not cajole, groans or complains.
Let me not worry too much
trivial and small matters.
Give me, Lord, a sense of humor,
grace of understanding the joke.
Let me experience you in my life
happiness
and passed them on to next generations.
The words of the old prayer found
on one of the walls of Chester Cathedral.
Gerontology is the science that covers biological, medical, psychological, social and economic issues related to the elderly. Gerontology therefore covers the aging process in every aspect.
Geriatrics, however, is definitely a part of medicine, which is focused on the very process of biological aging and diseases coexisting with aging. It used to be a department of internal medicine dealing with the issues of prevention against pathological aging. It included the recognition and treatment of the most common diseases in the elderly. In addition, she also dealt with the methods of rehabilitation in the event of a certain disability in old people. Geriatrics was separated from the intern, to solve the health and social problems of the elderly in a holistic and effective manner. Thus, it can be said that the need for a holistic approach to the problems of the old man caused the emergence of this new medical specialty.
In the literature on geriatrics he writes that "the climate for the creation and development of geriatrics is found and found where the old man falls within the system of values of young people. For this reason, in the US, geriatric knowledge in the medical community is smaller than in Japan, Italy or England. In turn, old people find in the US a lot of support in the activities of their own organizations associating seniors, in non-governmental organizations and social movements. Aging can be modified, and geriatrics teach what health problems may be expected by a young man in the 1960s. He also teaches how to delay the senile age and how to avoid future disability, which will not allow the active use of the last 20 years of longer life. For people who are unhealthy and infirm, and their organ failures become deeper, the principles of such treatment and rehabilitation are established in order to restore their efficiency or raise its level. However, it is a mistake to associate geriatrics with end-stage patients or patients with dementia. "
Psychogeriatry, on the other hand, is called a psychiatric specialization which deals with the recognition and treatment of all mental disorders occurring during the old age. And these are most often: depression, dementia, delusional syndromes and other acute and chronic cerebral syndromes present in this period of life. Thus, it is a psychiatry involving a fairly long age range, now reaching up to 30 years.
In my office, as well as in the offices of other privately practicing psychiatrists, about a quarter of all registered patients are people over 65 years of age. When it comes to home visits, elderly patients make up nearly 90% of all registered people. Conducted home treatment, sometimes reminiscent of so-called "Home hospitalization" also applies to people of advanced age. The work of a psychiatrist in these conditions has a specific specifics and a lawsuit
dr n. med. psychiatrist Janusz Krzyżowski
ala for gathering many valuable insights and experiences.The collected casuistry concerning psychogeriatry is often a unique source of knowledge for privately practicing psychiatrists. Such reasons made me want to share my knowledge with a wider circle of colleagues, and they inspired me to write a book.
Psychogeriatry is today a rapidly growing branch of medicine. Each month new, important publications are added to expand our knowledge of genetics, molecular biology, neuroradiological diagnostics and psychoneurobiology. In the book, which the reader has in front of me, I also wanted to give this information along with an overview of the latest literature on specific aspects of psychogeriatry. I hope that all the descriptions, facts, outlines of theories and recommendations provided here will contribute to broadening our common knowledge about this important branch of psychiatry.
Doctor of Medicine Janusz Krzyżowski
Psychiatrist
Private office tel. 22 833 18 68
00-774Warszawa, Dolna 4 lok. 15
