Comprehensive Overview of Old Age Psychiatry Services in Sutton

OLD AGE PSYCHIATRY
Dr Suhana Ahmed
ST5 to Dr Debbie Stinson
Sutton Older People’s Community Mental
Health Team
Agenda
What is it
What did we do
What do we do
The team
Referrals
Memory assessment & f/u
 Dementia
Drugs
Old Age Psychiatry
general psychiatry in the elderly population
?definition of elderly
Service to all elderly people suffering from organic illness,
i.e. dementias of various types or functional illness, i.e.
depression, schizophrenia, etc.
complexity of cases, i.e. psychiatric conditions modified by
physical illness and organic mental changes and the
coexistence of organic and functional illness.
close working relationship with primary care and other
agencies such as social services
What we do now
Multidisciplinary team
3 beds for Sutton out of borough (Tolworth)
Intensive Home Treatment
Challenging behaviour service
SS separate service
Change in referrals over years – younger age, more
complex, interface with other specialties.
Intensive Home Treatment Team
Inpatient ward staff
Community Psychiatric nurses
Recovery Support workers
Reduction in beds
Help treat people in their own homes and keep them out of hospital
Can see people up to twice a day
Roles:
 
- supervise meds
 
- monitor risk
 
- monitor mental state
 
- support family and client
Access only via CMHT
Challenging Behaviour Service
Psychologists
CPNs
Challenging behaviour in context of dementia e.g agitation,
violence, not eating and drinking, under or over stimulation
Holistic assessment – staff, environment, observation
Only in care homes at present
Work with staff and clients to help manage behaviour
Use of psychological measures rather than medication
Direct referrals from GPs
Old Age Liaison Team
Based at St Helier’s
OT and CPN
Small amount of medical input
Due to increase resources in next few months.
Assessments for those picked up on screening.
Sutton Older People’s
Community Mental Health
Team
Old Age Psychiatry
Consultants
Specialty doctor
Core Trainee (1)
Specialist Trainee (1)
Community Practice
Nurses (4)
Occupational
Therapists
Recovery Support
worker
Clinical
Psychologists
Referrals
What?
 
Memory problems
Clarify diagnosis
Functional e.g. moderate/severe
depression
Agitated behaviour
Capacity
MCI/ Worried well
 
Early diagnosis
 
CQUIN in acute setting - confusion
QOF in GP – dementia diagnosis
 
Early diagnosis
 
 
Who?
GPs
Adult Psychiatry
Other services e.g social
services
Other specialties –
neurology, old age
A&E
Referrals
 
Appropriate referrals
Chronic cognitive
impairment
 
Severe mental illness
– psychosis,
depression
 
‘Inappropriate’
referrals
Acute confusion
Previous mental illness, nil
current
Multiple simultaneous
referrals
Purely social care
Timely diagnosis
 
Our criteria - age
OPC – Memory assessment.
Dear colleague,
I would be grateful for your review of this 84 year old man.
Mr X and her son came to see me at the surgery. His son
reports problems with his short term memory. He forgets
where he puts keys and cannot recall recent conversations.
AMT  was 7.
Many thanks,
GP
OPC – Memory assessment
Prior to appointment: (GPs to provide)
-
GP summary – med list, medical history
-
Dementia blood screen
-
Screen out physical causes e.g delirium or neuro problems
-
Ideally some cognitive testing
History
Collateral history
Mental State Examination
Formal cognitive assessment – SMMSE, ACE III
Risk
OPC – management plan
Consider any physical causes – and treat
Consider effects of physical meds
Neuroimaging (if appropriate)
?Further cognitive testing if required
F/u apt in 8-10/52
Social input
-
CCA
-
OT
-
Any other services
F/U appointment
Further cognitive assessment (if required)
Review scan with clinical history (do they correlate?)
MCI
Discuss diagnosis
Treatment – medication, cognitive stimulation.
Alzheimer’s society
?further f/u (mandatory if started on meds)
Have you thought about these services……
 
Admiral nurses
specialist dementia 
nurses
practical and emotional support to family carers
tailored to their individual needs and challenges.
Increase in number
 
Alzheimer’s society
Dementia advisors
Carer support
Activity groups
 
Carers centre
Carers assessment/support
Counselling and wellbeing
Benefits and advice
Support groups/training
 
Age UK
Home and care including equipment
Money matters
Advice and support
 
Social services
Community care assessment
Safeguarding
Have you thought about these services……
Summary
Various changes to service including new sub teams – IHTT, CBS
Reduction in beds
Multidisciplinary team
Functional and organic
Various modes of referral
Memory assessment – various parts
Consider other services
 
DEMENTIA
Types
DEMENTIA
Alzheimer’s
62%
Vascular
17%
Mixed
10%
Lewy body dementia
4%
Fronto-temporal
2%
Parkinson’s Dementia
2%
Other:
3%
Alzheimer’s
 
extracellular deposition
of beta amyloid-Aβ and
intracellular accumulation
of tau protein.
Proteins build up in the
brain to form structures
called 'plaques' and
'tangles'.
loss of connections
between nerve cells
death of nerve cells and
loss of brain tissue.
 
Shortage of acetylcholine
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s - symptoms
Short term memory
Recall
Learning new info
language
visuospatial skills 
concentrating, planning or organising
Orientation
Anxiety, irritability, depression
Communication
Psychotic symptoms
Unusual/out of character behaviour – agitation, calling out, sleep, aggression
Awareness, frailty, eating.
Atypical
 
Alzheimer’s
 
earliest symptoms are not memory loss.
underlying damage (plaques and tangles) is the same
first part of the brain to be affected is not the hippocampus.
 
 
Posterior cortical
atrophy (PCA)
atrophy of the back
(posterior) part of the
cerebral cortex
Visual info/ spatial
awareness
e.g identify objects/
reading,
uncoordinated, judge
distances
 
Logopenic aphasia
left posterior temporal cortex
and inferior parietal lobule
primary progressive aphasia
language
speech labored with long
pauses.
 
Frontal variant
Alzheimer's disease
frontal lobes
planning and decision-
making.
socially inappropriate,
lack of empathy
Vascular Dementia
 
reduced blood supply to the brain due to diseased blood
vessels.
Death of brain cells
 
 
Stroke –related
Post stroke dementia
20% within 6 months 
 
Single-infarct
Small
Temporary
asymptomatic
 
Multi-infarct
 
Sub cortical
Most common
diseases of the very small blood vessels
that lie deep in the brain
thick walls and become stiff and twisted,
meaning that blood flow through them is
reduced.
‘small vessel disease’
Vascular
 
dementia
Vascular dementia
most common cognitive symptoms in the early stages
problems with 
planning or organising
, making decisions or solving
problems
difficulties following a series of steps (eg cooking a meal)
slower speed of thought
problems concentrating
, including short periods of sudden
confusion.
memory-
 problems recalling recent events (often mild)
language
- eg speech may become less fluent
visuospatial skills 
- problems perceiving objects in three
dimensions.
Mood – apathy, lability, depression
Vascular dementia
subcortical vascular dementia
Early loss of bladder control common.
mild weakness on one side of their body, or
less steady walking and more prone to falls.
clumsiness, lack of facial expression and problems
pronouncing words.
Vascular dementia
Stroke-related dementia
progresses in a 'stepped' way
long periods when symptoms are stable and
periods when symptoms rapidly get worse
Subcortical dementia
more often symptoms get worse gradually
(similar to Alzheimer’s course)
Fronto-temporal dementia
Frontal 
– behaviour and emotions
Temporal
 – understanding of words
nerve cells in the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain
pathways that connect them change
 the brain tissue in the frontal and temporal lobes shrinks.
Younger age group
behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia
progressive non-fluent aphasia
semantic dementia.
Fronto-temporal dementia
Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia
two thirds
Personality and behaviour
lose their inhibitions
lose interest in people and things - lose motivation
lose sympathy or empathy
show repetitive, compulsive or ritualised
crave sweet or fatty foods, lose table etiquette, or
binge on 'junk' foods, alcohol or cigarettes.
Fronto-temporal dementia
 
Language variants of frontotemporal dementia
early symptoms- progressive difficulties with language
apparent slowly, often over two or more years.
 
progressive non-fluent
aphasia
initial problems  - speech.
slow, hesitant speech –
errors in grammar
 
semantic dementia,
speech is fluent
lose their vocabulary and
understanding of what objects are
asking the meaning of familiar
words trouble finding the right
word,
difficulty recognising familiar
people or common objects.
Fronto-temporal dementia
Progression - differences between the three types become much
less obvious.
later stages, damage to the brain becomes more widespread.
Symptoms are often then similar to those of the later stages of
Alzheimer's disease.
10-20 per cent of people with frontotemporal dementia also develop a
motor disorder, before or after the start of dementia.
motor neurone disease
progressive supranuclear palsy
corticobasal degeneration.
a person with both conditions will live for two or three years after
diagnosis.
Lewy Body dementia
symptoms with both 
Alzheimer's disease
 and Parkinson's
disease
under-diagnosed
tiny deposits of protein in nerve cells
low levels acetylcholine and dopamine
loss of connections between nerve cells.
progressive death of nerve cells and loss of brain tissue.
brain and nervous system
Lewy Body dementia
Lewy Body dementia
 
often 
subtle
, but gradually worsen to cause problems with daily living
 
attention and alertness 
- 
fluctuate widely over the course of the day, by the
hour or even a few minutes.
judging distances 
and 
perceiving
 objects
planning and organising
 
Visual hallucinations 
- 
people or animals, and are experienced as detailed
and convincing.
 
Delusions
 
movement problems 
– rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia
 
Sleep disorders
 
 
Lewy Body dementia
 
 
Worsening movement problems mean that walking
gets slower and less steady
 
speech and swallowing, leading to chest infections or
risk of choking.
 
Eventually, someone with DLB is likely to need
extensive nursing care
 
Diagnostic difficulty
Medications
 
Dementia and Drugs
 
Drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease
 
Drugs to treat symptoms associated with dementia
 
Drugs to treat physical disorders in people with
dementia
Drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease
 
Anti Dementia Drugs
 
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
Donepezil
Galantamine
Rivastigmine
 
Memantine
Anti Dementia Drugs
 
Initiation of anti-Alzheimer drugs is usually by a specialist.
More follow up in primary care (SLAM).
 
Little to choose between AChEIs.
 
Main side effects are syncope & GI
Contraindicated in cardiac conduction problems or if pulse
rate <60.
 
Continue even in more severe stages, if tolerated.
May cause agitation in advanced dementia.
Monitoring
 
Regularly check by specialist team
 
check-up - assessment of the patient's cognition, behaviour and
ability to cope with daily life
 
views of carers discussed at start of drug treatment and at check-
ups
 
treatment is continued as long as it is judged to be having a
worthwhile effect
 
cholinesterase inhibitor - least expensive of the three drugs is
prescribed first.
However, if not suitable - another cholinesterase inhibitor could be
chosen.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
Mechanism of action:
Prevent enzyme acetylcholinesterase from breaking down
acetylcholine in the brain.
Increased concentrations of acetylcholine - increased communication
between the nerve cells that use acetylcholine
Indications:
mild-to-moderate 
Alzheimer's disease
dementia with Lewy bodies and dementia related to Parkinson's disease  -
rivastigmine (most evidence)
Not started in acute setting
Effectiveness
40-70 per cent with Alzheimer's disease benefit from cholinesterase
inhibitor treatment
Not effective for everyone and
May improve 
symptoms
 only temporarily, between six and 12 months in
most cases
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
 
Donepezil
(Aricept)
 
Rivastigmine
(Exelon)
 
Galantamine
(Reminyl)
Tends to be first line
ON.
Starting dose 5mg ON,
increased to 10mg OD
after 1/12 if necessary.
maximum licensed total
10mg OD
capsules or oral solution
BD
Starting dose 3mg a day
in 2 doses, usually
increase to 6mg - 12mg a
day
Patch-two versions. Daily
dosages of 4.6mg or
9.5mg. Fewer side-
effects than the capsules
starting dose 8mg OD
4/52, increased to
16mg OD for another
4/52. Maintenance
dose of 16-24mg daily
Slow-release capsules
(Reminyl XL) are
available (once a day).
maximum licensed
total daily dose is
24mg.
Memantine (Ebixa)
Mechanism of action:
NMDA receptor antagonist
Blocks glutamate.
Glutamate released in excessive amounts when brain cells are damaged by
Alzheimer's disease - brain cells damaged further.
Protect brain cells by blocking effects of excess glutamate.
Indications
severe Alzheimer's disease
moderate disease who cannot take the cholinesterase inhibitor drugs
.
Administration
Tablets or oral drops
recommended starting dose 5mg OD, increasing after 4/52 to up to 20mg OD
maximum licensed total daily dose is 20mg
Summary
 
Anticholinesterase inhibitors – Donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine
NMDA antagonist – Memantine
 
Not indicated for all dementias e.g not indicated for vascular dementia
 
Compliance – supervision, prompt
 
Risks: syncope, GI and bradycardia
 
Not tolerated – change to another AChEI
 
Regular monitor including cognitive assessment.
 
Drugs to treat symptoms associated
with dementia
 
Depression and Dementia
common psychological conditions that are frequently
experienced by people with dementia and their carers
particularly common in people who have vascular dementia or
Parkinson's dementia
Diagnostic difficulty – overlap in symptoms between dementia
and depression
Depression may worsen behavioural symptoms dementia =
aggression, problems sleeping or refusal to eat.
later stages of dementia, depression tends to show in the
form of depressive 'signs‘ - tearfulness and weight loss
Depression and Dementia
early stages of dementia-  may be linked to a
person's worries about their memory and about
the future.
Chemical changes in the brain, caused by the
dementia, may also lead to depression or anxiety.
People living in care homes seem to be
particularly at risk of depression.
Treatment of depression in dementia
Psychological
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
helpful for people in the early stages of dementia
Less appropriate in the later stages of dementia, communication
problems are common.
Medications
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (first line)
Sertraline or citalopram (max 20mg)
Mirtazapine (Atypical) – sedation and appetite
Trazodone (tricyclic antidepressant) – sedating
S/e – mild, GI
Caution:  Hyponatraemia
Psychosis in Dementia
Paranoia, hallucinations, delusions
Difficult to treat and can be resistant to drug treatment
Risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine – low doses
Caution with lewy body dementia and Parkinson's Dementia –
worsening of physical symptoms
Side effects: sedation (and falls), worsening confusion, parkinsonism,
risk of stroke.
Regular review, reduce and discontinue if no effect.
Agitation in Dementia
 
any possible underlying factors & treat
Physical
Comorbid mental health – depression, anxiety
Medications e.g codeine, tramadol
comfortable and well cared for (abuse, neglect)
Recent changes e.g move to home, staff
Over and under stimulation
 
Non- medical
non-drug treatments used before medication
reminiscence therapy and social interaction
Animal therapy
Music and dance therapy
Agitation in Dementia
Antipsychotics
risperidone – license (6 weeks). Other prescribed 'off-licence‘
NICE
  - antipsychotic drugs not first line
Exception: severe behavioural and psychological symptoms - certain,
clearly defined circumstances.
full discussion with the person and carers benefits and risks of
treatment (e.gs increased risk of stroke vs improvement in agitation)
all prescriptions monitored and stopped after 12 weeks, except in
extreme circumstances
Agitation in Dementia
Evidence that people with dementia are being inappropriately
prescribed antipsychotic drugs.
prescribed for long periods of time
prescribed to treat mild behavioural and psychological
symptoms
Around two-thirds of antipsychotic prescriptions are
inappropriate.
National drive to decrease the use of antipsychotics
Challenging behaviour team
Mrs X
84 year old
In a well known care home
Dx: Mixed Dementia – vascular and Alzheimer’s
Referral:
- Poor self care – aggressive when being bathed
- Hiding in cupboards
- Disinhibition – exposing herself
Request for review and medication
Challenging Behaviour Team
 
D/w staff
Observation
 
Poor self care
 
Hiding in cupboard
 
‘Disinhibition’ – exposing herself
 
Behaviour is a form of communication
Agitation in Dementia
Benzodiazepines
Lorazepam, diazepam, clonazepam
Not first line – non medical measures tried
If used
 
- time limited
 
- target behaviour
 
- frequency
 
- clear monitoring – to observe whether this has decreased.
Minimum effective dose
Risks: sedation (falls), worsening agitation, worsening confusion, respiratory
depression
Request by care homes to manage clients
Summary
Depression and anxiety common
Diagnostic clarity
Similar treatment pathway to depression and anxiety in
younger population
Antipsychotic use for psychosis – limited benefit and risks
Agitation – non medical treatment first line.  Meds to be used
cautiously, time limited and stopped as soon as able to due to
risks.
Challenging behaviour team.
Drugs to treat physical disorders
in people with dementia
 
Background
Drugs can have adverse cognitive effects
May be a 
cause
  of cognitive problems (Tannenbaum 
et al
 2012)
Exacerbate
 impairments in dementia
Polypharmacy
is frequent - average of 8 drugs per resident in UK care homes
(Shah 
et al
 2012)
is dangerous -the more drugs people with dementia take the
higher their mortality SHELTER study (2013)
Is not necessary -20% of drugs “potentially inappropriate” in
care home residents (Shah 
et al
 2012)
Anticholinergics
Reducing brain cholinergic activity would be
expected to have an effect on brain function
But many drugs have some degree of action on anti-
cholinergic activity
Two key questions
Do “anti-cholinergic” drugs affect brain function in a
clinically important way?
Do drugs with anti- cholinergic activity affect adversely the
benefits of cholinesterase inhibitor drugs?
Anticholinergics
While some drugs are used for anticholinergic effects
eg oxybutynin or hyoscine
Others are not known for this function
eg ranitidine or CBZ
Cumulative effect
Anticholinergic risk scales of drugs vary considerably
Recent systematic review of anticholinergic risk
scales
Uniform list of drugs 
(Duran et al 2013)
Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale
Score 3 – clinically relevant
Tricyclics
Phenothiazines, olanzapine,quetiapine, clozapine
The older antihistamines- chlorpheniramine,  hydoxyzine,
clemastine
Hyoscine (scopolamine)
Anitcholinergics for movement disorders-orphenadrine,
procyclidine, trihexyphenidyl
Anticholinergics used for bladder problems- oxybutynin,
tolterodine, propantheline
Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale
Score 1 or 2- mild anticholinergic activity
Amantadine
Benzodiazepines
Opiates
Atenolol
Cimetidine and ranitidine
Furosemide
Digoxin
Nifedipine
Does all this matter?
Study of relationship of 
patients’ 
“Anticholinergic
Cognitive Burden (ACB)” with mortality and cognitive
impairment
For each 1 point increase in the ACB
a decline in MMSE of 0.33 points over 2 years
26% increase in the risk of death
AChEIs and Anti-cholinergic drugs
Up to 50% of patients on concomitant use
Anti-cholinergics interact negatively with AChEIs
Also cause confusion, sedation, cognitive impairment,
delirium and falls
Some suggestion they can increase the risk of
dementia and affect the clinical course of AD 
(Carriere et al
2009; Jessen et al 2010; Lu & tune 2003)
Risk factor for onset of psychosis in AD 
(Cancelli et al 2009)
Anticholinergic drugs
Whether a drug worsens cognition does not just depend on its
“anticholinergic activity”-  other factors are:
Which receptors it acts on-  M1 and M2 receptors (brain)or M3
receptors (bladder)-
 
Darifenacin is selective to M3 bladder receptors
How well it 
crosses
 the blood brain barrier – small, lipid soluble,
unpolarized molecules cross better- 
Trospium- poor penetration through BBB
How well it is recognised by the Permeability-glycoprotein (P-gp), 
(
an
active CNS efflux transporter which actively pumps agents back into
circulation
)
        Only darifenacin, trospium and fesoterodine are reported to be P-gp substrates
oxybutynin and tolterodine are non specific and cross the BBB easily
The blood-brain barrier
Respiratory 
disorders
 
No evidence that 
inhaled
 anticholinergics affect
cognitive function
 
I
n theory AChEIs can exacerbate asthma/ COPD
 
2
 studies- no ↑ risk of adverse pulmonary outcomes
(Stephenson et al 2012; Thacker & Schneeweiss 2006)
1 study- significant association with risk of pneumonia,
persistent cough, asthma and bronchitis 
(Helou & Rhalimi 2010)
 
Caution in COPD and Asthma and close monitoring
recommended
Pain in dementia
 
Common and under-
treated 
(McLachlan et al
2011)
 
Pain itself can
worsen cognition
(Clegg and Yong, 2011)
Pain in dementia
 
NSAIDs cause GI side effects
and exacerbate heart failure
 
Codeine associated with falls
 
Tramodol associated with
seizures
 
Opiates increase delirium
risk 
(Clegg and Young 2011)
How to treat pain in dementia
Define your target symptom
Use outcome measures – for pain (e.g. PAIN-
AD) and distress (e.g. NPI or CBS)
Have a stepped protocol – for example 
(Husebo et
al 2011):
1. paracetamol (up to 3g per day)
2. Morphine (up to 20mg per day)
3. Buprenorphine patch (max 10mcg per hour)
4. Pregabalin  (max 300mg per day)
Summary – Physical meds
 
Avoid polypharmacy
 
Stop anything unnecessary
 
If you are starting a drug
monitor response and stop if
no use
Avoid anti-cholinergic and
sedative drugs
 
Chose drugs with least
central effects where
possible
HD
 
83 year old
 
Jan 2015
Aortic valve replacement
Triple bypass
 
 
confusion post-operatively - ??
 
 
Post-operative complications
pulmonary oedema
AKI
2 episodes of malaena – subsequent OGD normal.
Confusion returns
HD
 
Neurology review on the ward
confusion
visual and tactile hallucinations – seeing animals and
feeling things crawling on his skin.
mild bilateral cogwheeling.
CT scan - no acute pathology.
 
Commenced on a rivastigmine patch due to concern that
this might be the start of lewy body disease.
 
Discharge from St George’s – discharge letter to GP
HD
 
March 2015
 
rapidly improved when he was discharged home (around 4 weeks
ago now)
no confusion and no hallucinations recently. some initial perceptual
abnormalities that seemed illusory in character (eg “seeing” people
in the curtains) - now settled.
Back to his normal self, though his daughter remains concerned
that he has said some odd statements at times/ odd behaviour
 
slight tremor, essential tremor
 
Premorbid – ?cognition,  ?hallucinations
 
ACE 86/100
HD
Impression:
I think it is clear that his confusion and hallucinations on the ward were the
result of delirium. The underlying aetiology might well relate to the
operation/anaesthesia itself, particularly as he has a known history of
hallucinations caused by medication, or subsequent complications.
 Prior to the procedure there was no clear evidence of cognitive impairment,
and his symptoms have largely resolved since returning home. (This marked
improvement is unlikely to be the rivastigmine, where the positive effects
are generally more subtle).
The odd comments or behaviour reported by his Mr Daines' daughter might
relate to slow-resolving delirium (which can take months to fully resolve) or
suggest a more persistent organic change. Delirium can cause a step down
in functioning and 'unmask' an underlying problem.
HD
 
MRI head
There is evidence of significant small vessel ischaemic disease with confluent bilateral
parietal white matter hyperintensities, scattered foci of white matter lesions and a
small right lacunar infarct. This is associated with mild to moderate global cerebral
atrophy. There are no specific features to suggest Lewy body dementia, but if this is
considered in the differential diagnosis then further imaging with DATSCAN would be
of benefit.
 
 
 
Impression
no evidence of lewy body disease
Likely previous delirium - ?still resolving
 
Plan
Rivastigmine stopped
Discharge
HD
 
Re-referral (Jul 2015)
disturbed by auditory hallucinations, cameras in his house and that his
computer is being monitored.
not confused
 
Chest Infection and recent (unsure of exact date) admission to Hospital for
suspected UTI.
Request from GP for review and case to be reopened to OPCMHT.
 
 
 
 
 
Positive for urine dip
Similar presentation to previous infections
Abx
Not accepted. But re-refer if persists
HD
 
Re-referral (Aug 2015)
Course of antibiotics completed, urine sample clear,
further sample sent for testing.
'Profound auditory hallucinations remain' present -
continues to hear voices, that he is monitored by
cameras and now believes that a bug has been
implanted in his ear.
 
Plan
Psychiatrist to review within a week
HD
 
2-3 months - new onset auditory hallucinations. This began as
only occasional but has rapidly progressed
2
nd
 and 3
rd
 person
Delusional significance, preoccupied
Not distressed
 
 
Differential diagnosis
 
Plan
Physical investigations
Risperidone
HD
 
Worsening symptoms – visual and auditory
Falls
Driving
 
Agitation
Confusion
 
Family struggling
 
Risks
HD
 
Cellulitis - treated
 
Worsening psychotic symptoms
Falls
Variable in agitation and aggression
 
Olanzapine
Rivastigmine
 
Section 3
 
Thank you.
Questions???
 
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Explore the specialized services offered by the Old Age Psychiatry team in Sutton, including memory assessments, dementia care, multidisciplinary support, challenging behavior interventions, and community outreach. Learn about the dynamic approach to treating elderly individuals with mental health issues in their homes and care facilities.

  • Old Age Psychiatry
  • Sutton
  • Mental Health
  • Elderly Care
  • Dementia

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  1. OLD AGE PSYCHIATRY Dr Suhana Ahmed ST5 to Dr Debbie Stinson Sutton Older People s Community Mental Health Team

  2. Agenda What is it What did we do What do we do The team Referrals Memory assessment & f/u Dementia Drugs

  3. Old Age Psychiatry general psychiatry in the elderly population ?definition of elderly Service to all elderly people suffering from organic illness, i.e. dementias of various types or functional illness, i.e. depression, schizophrenia, etc. complexity of cases, i.e. psychiatric conditions modified by physical illness and organic mental changes and the coexistence of organic and functional illness. close working relationship with primary care and other agencies such as social services

  4. What we do now Multidisciplinary team 3 beds for Sutton out of borough (Tolworth) Intensive Home Treatment Challenging behaviour service SS separate service Change in referrals over years younger age, more complex, interface with other specialties.

  5. Intensive Home Treatment Team Inpatient ward staff Community Psychiatric nurses Recovery Support workers Reduction in beds Help treat people in their own homes and keep them out of hospital Can see people up to twice a day Roles: - supervise meds - monitor risk - monitor mental state - support family and client Access only via CMHT

  6. Challenging Behaviour Service Psychologists CPNs Challenging behaviour in context of dementia e.g agitation, violence, not eating and drinking, under or over stimulation Holistic assessment staff, environment, observation Only in care homes at present Work with staff and clients to help manage behaviour Use of psychological measures rather than medication Direct referrals from GPs

  7. Old Age Liaison Team Based at St Helier s OT and CPN Small amount of medical input Due to increase resources in next few months. Assessments for those picked up on screening.

  8. Core Trainee (1) Specialist Trainee (1) Old Age Psychiatry Consultants Specialty doctor Sutton Older People s Community Mental Health Team Clinical Psychologists Community Practice Nurses (4) Recovery Support worker Occupational Therapists

  9. Referrals What? Who? Memory problems Clarify diagnosis Functional e.g. moderate/severe depression Agitated behaviour Capacity MCI/ Worried well GPs Adult Psychiatry Other services e.g social services Early diagnosis CQUIN in acute setting - confusion QOF in GP dementia diagnosis Other specialties neurology, old age A&E Early diagnosis

  10. Referrals Inappropriate referrals Acute confusion Appropriate referrals Chronic cognitive impairment Previous mental illness, nil current Severe mental illness psychosis, depression Multiple simultaneous referrals Purely social care Timely diagnosis Our criteria - age

  11. OPC Memory assessment. Dear colleague, I would be grateful for your review of this 84 year old man. Mr X and her son came to see me at the surgery. His son reports problems with his short term memory. He forgets where he puts keys and cannot recall recent conversations. AMT was 7. Many thanks, GP

  12. OPC Memory assessment Prior to appointment: (GPs to provide) - GP summary med list, medical history - Dementia blood screen - Screen out physical causes e.g delirium or neuro problems - Ideally some cognitive testing History Collateral history Mental State Examination Formal cognitive assessment SMMSE, ACE III Risk

  13. OPC management plan Consider any physical causes and treat Consider effects of physical meds Neuroimaging (if appropriate) ?Further cognitive testing if required F/u apt in 8-10/52 Social input - CCA - OT - Any other services

  14. F/U appointment Further cognitive assessment (if required) Review scan with clinical history (do they correlate?) MCI Discuss diagnosis Treatment medication, cognitive stimulation. Alzheimer s society ?further f/u (mandatory if started on meds)

  15. Have you thought about these services Admiral nurses specialist dementia nurses practical and emotional support to family carers tailored to their individual needs and challenges. Increase in number Alzheimer s society Dementia advisors Carer support Activity groups

  16. Have you thought about these services Carers centre Carers assessment/support Counselling and wellbeing Benefits and advice Support groups/training Age UK Home and care including equipment Money matters Advice and support Social services Community care assessment Safeguarding

  17. Summary Various changes to service including new sub teams IHTT, CBS Reduction in beds Multidisciplinary team Functional and organic Various modes of referral Memory assessment various parts Consider other services

  18. DEMENTIA

  19. Types Vascular 17% Alzheimer s 62% Lewy body dementia 4% Mixed 10% DEMENTIA Fronto-temporal 2% Other: 3% Parkinson s Dementia 2%

  20. Alzheimers extracellular deposition of beta amyloid-A and intracellular accumulation of tau protein. Proteins build up in the brain to form structures called 'plaques' and 'tangles'. loss of connections between nerve cells death of nerve cells and loss of brain tissue. Shortage of acetylcholine

  21. Alzheimers http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/health_tools/alzheimers_caregivers_slideshow/princ_rm_photo_of_alzheimer_brain.jpg

  22. Alzheimers - symptoms Short term memory Recall Learning new info language visuospatial skills concentrating, planning or organising Orientation Anxiety, irritability, depression Communication Psychotic symptoms Unusual/out of character behaviour agitation, calling out, sleep, aggression Awareness, frailty, eating.

  23. AtypicalAlzheimers earliest symptoms are not memory loss. underlying damage (plaques and tangles) is the same first part of the brain to be affected is not the hippocampus. Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) Logopenic aphasia Frontal variant Alzheimer's disease left posterior temporal cortex and inferior parietal lobule atrophy of the back (posterior) part of the cerebral cortex frontal lobes primary progressive aphasia planning and decision- making. Visual info/ spatial awareness language socially inappropriate, lack of empathy speech labored with long pauses. e.g identify objects/ reading, uncoordinated, judge distances

  24. Vascular Dementia reduced blood supply to the brain due to diseased blood vessels. Death of brain cells Stroke related Sub cortical Most common Post stroke dementia 20% within 6 months diseases of the very small blood vessels that lie deep in the brain Single-infarct Small Temporary asymptomatic thick walls and become stiff and twisted, meaning that blood flow through them is reduced. small vessel disease Multi-infarct

  25. Vasculardementia

  26. Vascular dementia most common cognitive symptoms in the early stages problems with planning or organising, making decisions or solving problems difficulties following a series of steps (eg cooking a meal) slower speed of thought problems concentrating, including short periods of sudden confusion. memory- problems recalling recent events (often mild) language- eg speech may become less fluent visuospatial skills - problems perceiving objects in three dimensions. Mood apathy, lability, depression

  27. Vascular dementia subcortical vascular dementia Early loss of bladder control common. mild weakness on one side of their body, or less steady walking and more prone to falls. clumsiness, lack of facial expression and problems pronouncing words.

  28. Vascular dementia Stroke-related dementia progresses in a 'stepped' way long periods when symptoms are stable and periods when symptoms rapidly get worse Subcortical dementia more often symptoms get worse gradually (similar to Alzheimer s course)

  29. Fronto-temporal dementia Frontal behaviour and emotions Temporal understanding of words nerve cells in the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain pathways that connect them change the brain tissue in the frontal and temporal lobes shrinks. Younger age group behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia progressive non-fluent aphasia semantic dementia.

  30. Fronto-temporal dementia Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia two thirds Personality and behaviour lose their inhibitions lose interest in people and things - lose motivation lose sympathy or empathy show repetitive, compulsive or ritualised crave sweet or fatty foods, lose table etiquette, or binge on 'junk' foods, alcohol or cigarettes.

  31. Fronto-temporal dementia Language variants of frontotemporal dementia early symptoms- progressive difficulties with language apparent slowly, often over two or more years. semantic dementia, progressive non-fluent aphasia speech is fluent lose their vocabulary and understanding of what objects are initial problems - speech. slow, hesitant speech asking the meaning of familiar words trouble finding the right word, errors in grammar difficulty recognising familiar people or common objects.

  32. Fronto-temporal dementia Progression - differences between the three types become much less obvious. later stages, damage to the brain becomes more widespread. Symptoms are often then similar to those of the later stages of Alzheimer's disease. 10-20 per cent of people with frontotemporal dementia also develop a motor disorder, before or after the start of dementia. motor neurone disease progressive supranuclear palsy corticobasal degeneration. a person with both conditions will live for two or three years after diagnosis.

  33. Lewy Body dementia symptoms with both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease under-diagnosed tiny deposits of protein in nerve cells low levels acetylcholine and dopamine loss of connections between nerve cells. progressive death of nerve cells and loss of brain tissue. brain and nervous system

  34. Lewy Body dementia

  35. Lewy Body dementia often subtle, but gradually worsen to cause problems with daily living attention and alertness - fluctuate widely over the course of the day, by the hour or even a few minutes. judging distances and perceiving objects planning and organising Visual hallucinations - people or animals, and are experienced as detailed and convincing. Delusions movement problems rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia Sleep disorders

  36. Lewy Body dementia Worsening movement problems mean that walking gets slower and less steady speech and swallowing, leading to chest infections or risk of choking. Eventually, someone with DLB is likely to need extensive nursing care Diagnostic difficulty

  37. Medications

  38. Dementia and Drugs Drugs to treat Alzheimer s disease Drugs to treat symptoms associated with dementia Drugs to treat physical disorders in people with dementia

  39. Drugs to treat Alzheimers disease

  40. Anti Dementia Drugs Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors Donepezil Galantamine Rivastigmine Memantine

  41. Anti Dementia Drugs Initiation of anti-Alzheimer drugs is usually by a specialist. More follow up in primary care (SLAM). Little to choose between AChEIs. Main side effects are syncope & GI Contraindicated in cardiac conduction problems or if pulse rate <60. Continue even in more severe stages, if tolerated. May cause agitation in advanced dementia.

  42. Monitoring Regularly check by specialist team check-up - assessment of the patient's cognition, behaviour and ability to cope with daily life views of carers discussed at start of drug treatment and at check- ups treatment is continued as long as it is judged to be having a worthwhile effect cholinesterase inhibitor - least expensive of the three drugs is prescribed first. However, if not suitable - another cholinesterase inhibitor could be chosen.

  43. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors Mechanism of action: Prevent enzyme acetylcholinesterase from breaking down acetylcholine in the brain. Increased concentrations of acetylcholine - increased communication between the nerve cells that use acetylcholine Indications: mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease dementia with Lewy bodies and dementia related to Parkinson's disease - rivastigmine (most evidence) Not started in acute setting Effectiveness 40-70 per cent with Alzheimer's disease benefit from cholinesterase inhibitor treatment Not effective for everyone and May improve symptoms only temporarily, between six and 12 months in most cases

  44. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors Donepezil (Aricept) Rivastigmine (Exelon) Galantamine (Reminyl) capsules or oral solution starting dose 8mg OD 4/52, increased to 16mg OD for another 4/52. Maintenance dose of 16-24mg daily Tends to be first line BD ON. Starting dose 3mg a day in 2 doses, usually increase to 6mg - 12mg a day Starting dose 5mg ON, increased to 10mg OD after 1/12 if necessary. Slow-release capsules (Reminyl XL) are available (once a day). maximum licensed total 10mg OD Patch-two versions. Daily dosages of 4.6mg or 9.5mg. Fewer side- effects than the capsules maximum licensed total daily dose is 24mg.

  45. Memantine (Ebixa) Mechanism of action: NMDA receptor antagonist Blocks glutamate. Glutamate released in excessive amounts when brain cells are damaged by Alzheimer's disease - brain cells damaged further. Protect brain cells by blocking effects of excess glutamate. Indications severe Alzheimer's disease moderate disease who cannot take the cholinesterase inhibitor drugs. Administration Tablets or oral drops recommended starting dose 5mg OD, increasing after 4/52 to up to 20mg OD maximum licensed total daily dose is 20mg

  46. Summary Anticholinesterase inhibitors Donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine NMDA antagonist Memantine Not indicated for all dementias e.g not indicated for vascular dementia Compliance supervision, prompt Risks: syncope, GI and bradycardia Not tolerated change to another AChEI Regular monitor including cognitive assessment.

  47. Drugs to treat symptoms associated with dementia

  48. Depression and Dementia common psychological conditions that are frequently experienced by people with dementia and their carers particularly common in people who have vascular dementia or Parkinson's dementia Diagnostic difficulty overlap in symptoms between dementia and depression Depression may worsen behavioural symptoms dementia = aggression, problems sleeping or refusal to eat. later stages of dementia, depression tends to show in the form of depressive 'signs - tearfulness and weight loss

  49. Depression and Dementia early stages of dementia- may be linked to a person's worries about their memory and about the future. Chemical changes in the brain, caused by the dementia, may also lead to depression or anxiety. People living in care homes seem to be particularly at risk of depression.

  50. Treatment of depression in dementia Psychological Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helpful for people in the early stages of dementia Less appropriate in the later stages of dementia, communication problems are common. Medications Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (first line) Sertraline or citalopram (max 20mg) Mirtazapine (Atypical) sedation and appetite Trazodone (tricyclic antidepressant) sedating S/e mild, GI Caution: Hyponatraemia

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