A small shift is set to occur at UAB St. Vincent’s East that can make a big difference in the lives of older patients.
Six beds in the adult behavioral health unit will be converted to geriatric beds to meet the rising need for treatment of neurocognitive disorders in older individuals. This, according to Suzannah Campbell, president of UAB St. Vincent’s East, will increase the number of beds in the geriatric behavioral health unit from 20 to 26, while reducing the bed count in the adult unit from 60 to 54. The funding for this geriatric bed expansion will be provided by UAB St. Vincent’s Foundation.
“Based on current demands and future expectations, the adult unit will be able to accommodate admissions with the remaining beds,” says Campbell. “Right now, approximately 15 to 20 geriatric patients are turned away each month due to lack of geriatric psychiatric beds, and this shift will help alleviate the problem.”
“During my medical career, I have always wanted to provide this population with the care that I wanted my grandparents and now my parents to receive.”
From a medical standpoint, says Candace Perry, MD, Psychiatry, the expansion of the geriatric behavioral health unit will allow UAB St. Vincent’s East to better care for the community.
“As our population ages, we will have more residents of the Birmingham area who will be experiencing neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias,” says Dr. Perry. “We will also have more older individuals requiring care for depression and schizophrenia. Having more beds available will give them greater continuity of care within our healthcare system.”
Dr. Perry finds caring for older adults fulfilling, so this move to increase access to geriatric behavioral care is something she’s glad to see.
“During my medical career, I have always wanted to provide this population with the care that I wanted my grandparents and now my parents to receive,” she says.
Expanding the geriatric unit will require a limited amount of construction. Plans call for the additional beds to be open by Fall 2023.
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