Geriatric Psychiatrists question

ebplionis

Hi everyone,

I've been desperately trying to find a geriatric psychiatrist for my mom for a while now, and even in the DC area it seems like an impossible task.  I've only had 2 call backs and one person said "I'm not sure I'm the right fit, I don't think I can see her" and the other said that they don't take insurance, the initial consult is $500, with $300 for each consult after!  Does this seem normal to everyone?  She needs to see someone, but I really hesitate to shell out $500 when we don't even know it will be a good fit.  Its crazy, she actually has good insurance, and it seems like that doesn't matter. Should I keep looking, or fork it over?  FYI- her neurologist recommended we see a psychiatrist and didn't think we would find a geriatric one, and said "I don't think it will make a difference" we are also now looking for a new neurologist.   

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

harshedbuzz

I'm sorry.

I would contact you area agency on aging and find out which hospital in your community has a geripsych unit- they'll likely have outpatient psychiatry services affiliated. Our local ALZ support group was another resource for names.

HB

jfkoc

In my husbands case  a psychiatrist was recommended to be in charge of drugs. The one we were referred to was not geriatric but experienced in treating persons with dementia.

easy23

In NJ it's common for a psychiatrist not to take insurance. Some do take medicare/insurance though if you look hard enough. The fee here is $400.00 for an initial consultation and $250.00 for subsequent visits.

star26

Call the psychiatrist recommended by the neurologist as well as the other psychiatrists in the insurance network and ask if they are experienced in working with patients with dementia on dementia related symptoms. You don't need someone that strictly sees geriatric clients, just someone experienced. The dementia patients in your area are being seen by someone and it may be the person the neurologist is referring them to. You should not have to pay out of pocket.  If you already have a diagnosis, you may not need another neurologist.

larryeny

ebplionis wrote:

Hi everyone,

I've been desperately trying to find a geriatric psychiatrist for my mom for a while now, and even in the DC area it seems like an impossible task.  I've only had 2 call backs and one person said "I'm not sure I'm the right fit, I don't think I can see her" and the other said that they don't take insurance, the initial consult is $500, with $300 for each consult after!  Does this seem normal to everyone?  She needs to see someone, but I really hesitate to shell out $500 when we don't even know it will be a good fit.  Its crazy, she actually has good insurance, and it seems like that doesn't matter. Should I keep looking, or fork it over?  FYI- her neurologist recommended we see a psychiatrist and didn't think we would find a geriatric one, and said "I don't think it will make a difference" we are also now looking for a new neurologist.   

I had the exact same problem in the NYC area. I must have made about 10 phone calls. No one would accept her or they claimed to not be taking on new patients. My Mom's geriatric physician finally found one for us. I begged him to accept her and so far we've used him twice. It's really difficult.

You may want to try calling institutions like medical schools and universities with psychiatric departments. You might also want to try her physician or a neurologist to see if they can refer you. Lastly, you can perhaps try some rehab facilities or some nursing homes to see if they would be willing to give you the names of their psychiatrists and call them to see if they'd be willing to take her on. Good luck!

M1

II wish I had a good answer. I think we're only going to see more of this as the tidal wave of dementia patients increases....there are not going to be enough neurology or psychiatry practitioners to handle the demand. Brutal truth is that these are not patients who are rewarding to work with in this day and age, and even the most compassionate get burned out. Just like we caregivers do. Neurologists are an interesting breed, because most of the diseases they work with are not curable.  They love to diagnose, but treatment is grim in most of what they deal with.

This doesn't help your dilemma I know, but I think it's the underlying reason for it.