Geriatric Psychiatry Patient Care

The changes of later life can have a profound impact on individuals and their families. Aging adults are resilient, often coping with a number of issues such as illness, loss of loved ones and changes in lifestyle. Recognition and treatment of mental health problems including mood, memory and substance abuse in this age group often require a specialized approach.  The Geriatric Psychiatry Program located within the U-M Geriatrics Center provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to meet the unique needs of the aging population. Appropriate treatments can help facilitate adjustment to the changes of later life, and significantly improve quality of life for those patients and their families.

Normal aging brings with it adjustments to changes in health status, living situation, memory loss, and loss of loved ones, among other things. While most people are able to handle this life course in a normal fashion, we provide services to those who have more extensive needs in adjusting to these changes. We help patients across the entire spectrum of cognitive difficulties: from mild memory problems, to dementia with behavioral problems, to end stage dementia.

The Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic

The Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic consists of an interprofessional team, which includes physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and nurses and provides outpatient evaluation and treatment for older adults 70 and above with a variety of psychiatric disorders (including mood disorders, dementia, late-life psychoses, adjustment disorders and substance abuse), often involving interactions with coexisting medical conditions.  We also provide consultation to geriatricians and other primary care physicians who are treating older patients, both within Michigan Medicine and in the broader community.  Our primary clinic is located within the Turner Geriatric Clinic, part of the East Ann Arbor Health Center on Plymouth Rd.  In addition, in November 2017 we will be expanding to a new site in West Ann Arbor.

We believe it is important to look at the big picture when treating our patients, and often look well beyond the initial symptoms or reason for the referral to better understand the underlying mental, physical, and environmental variables that could be contributing to the issue.  For this reason, we often rely on input from friends, family, or other loved ones to help paint a complete picture and allow us to develop a comprehensive and personalized treatment plan.  These treatments may include any combination of psychopharmacologic, psychotherapeutic and psychosocial modalities.  For those with issues related to dementia or memory loss we can also set up a consultation within our new DICE clinic.

How to make an appointment

Typically your visit would start with your primary care provider or geriatrician, who may have discussed with you or a loved one some concerns surrounding your mood, personality, or problems with your memory or thoughts that they feel may be better handled by a visit with a geriatric psychiatrist.  At that point your doctor will put in a referral authorization and a request for a consultation into your chart.  Once this is completed you can call our clinic and schedule your first appointment.

To make an appointment please call: (734) 764-6831
Toll Free: (877) 865-2167
Clinic Fax: (734) 647-8535

How to prepare for your first visit

Prior to your appointment, please request to have your records sent to our office from previous psychiatrists you have seen if they were outside of the UM system.