Seniors, family members, healthcare providers and others may call 954-717-7714 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for more information or to make a referral.
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FMC's Senior Behavioral Health Program is the only inpatient mental health program in Broward County dedicated to the treatment of older adults. Our goal is to help seniors cope with mental health issues and return to optimal levels of functioning.
The Senior Behavioral Health Program offers acute care treatment for patients age 62 and older in need of a secure, therapeutic environment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Upon admission, each patient receives a comprehensive medical and psychiatric assessment. Our treatment team identifies and treats the psychiatric illness as well as the medical issues often present in seniors. The program is located within Florida Medical Center to ensure access to other hospital programs if needed.
"It's important to recognize the warning signs that appear in older adults who are close to us," says Director Patricia Salgado, RN, MA. " Receiving the right diagnosis and treatment can make a tremendous difference in a senior's quality of life."
Some warning signs that seniors could need treatment:
- Social withdrawal
- Change in eating/sleeping habits
- Loss of interest in personal appearance
- Increased forgetfulness or confusion
- Aggressive or combative behavior
- Refusing to take medications
- Suicidal thoughts/Recurrent thoughts of death
- Delusions or hallucinations
- Paranoia
The stigma of seeking mental health treatment is a bigger factor among older adults, many of whom grew up at a time when having a mental health problem was often considered synonymous with being incompetent. This misconception results in only half of the geriatric population acknowledging mental health problems and receiving treatment from a health care provider, and only a fraction of those receive specialty mental health services. This rate of utilization is lower than for any other adult age group.