Psychological Assessments & Evaluations

A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor with an MBBS degree and a specialization in Psychiatry. A Psychiatrist focuses on diagnosing and providing medical treatment for mental illnesses. A Clinical Psychologist has an M.Phil degree in Clinical Psychology with a focus on psychosocial and cognitive interventions.

Psychological interventions have been shown to be effective in the treatment of mental and behavioural health disorders prevalent in the older adult population. The availability of these nonpharmacological treatments is especially important for older adults who are often on multiple medications for management of chronic conditions and are more prone to certain adverse side effects of psychiatric medications than younger individuals. Therapy can help older adults who may have difficulty with the transitions of aging to manage their emotions, find new sources of enjoyment and meaning, and find new support systems. It can help people face their fears of death, if they have such fears, and deal with grief as friends and family members pass on. Family or individual therapy can also assist family members who may be caretakers of their elder relatives, as it can assist them in dealing with their emotions, communication issues—which may be especially helpful if an elder has some form of dementia—and community resources. Possible diagnoses associated with aging might be include depression or anxiety. Dementia is technically a medical diagnosis rather than a mental one, but therapeutic treatment may be able to help treat some of the symptoms associated with dementia.

The first duty of your psychiatrist is to provide a diagnostic formulation emphasising abilities as well as deficits. The psychiatrist will then help the patient and family understand the illness and provide pharmacological and therapeutic treatment as required. Treatment respects the individual patient's wishes and dignity and autonomy are maintained as long as possible. Psychiatrists work closely with many other specialists such as psychologists, general physicians and neurologists, who are all involved in the care process. The central role of the psychiatrist is to diagnose the clinical condition, explain the future course of illness and prognosis, as well as prescribe and monitor medication and physical health of the patient whilst undergoing treatment.

A geriatric psychologist studies is an expert in understanding the emotional, cognitive and social processes changes that occur as a part of the aging process, and in older people, and observe and works with these older people adults to help them with various mental and emotional issues. They are qualified in evaluating the and integrating information from various cognitive and psychological health psychosocial, cognitive, health, and functional abilities of older adults and to develop a treatment plan for provide interventions for:

• Mental illnesses, e.g., depression, anxietymental
• Neurodegenerative disorders, e.g., Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and sequelae of stroke
• Psychological issues secondary to deterioration in physical health, loneliness, life events like retirement, loss of a spouse or change in living circumstances and interpersonal issues with family members

Therapy can help older adults facing difficulty with the transitions of ageing to manage their emotions, find new sources of enjoyment and meaning, and find new support systems. It can also help people face their fears of death and deal with grief as friends and family members pass on. Family or individual therapy can help reduce caregiver burden amongst family members caring for older relatives, particularly those with Dementia.

Some adults may approach their "Golden Years" eagerly, anticipating retirement, grandchildren, or simply a new phase of life, others may dread the physical and mental effects of aging. It may be difficult for some adults to face the transition to retirement, deal with new frailty or medical conditions, or find enjoyable, meaningful activities if they do experience physical challenges that limit their mobility. It may also be difficult for some older adults to face mortality, especially when friends, peers, or spouses and partners pass on, and they may experience isolation in the wake of many such deaths. A clinical psychologist can help older adults facing such challenges and help improve quality of life in older age.

Aging is also the primary risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders like dementia and Parkinson’s disease and many older adults may also find themselves caring for an ailing spouse with these conditions. Counselling provided by a clinical psychologist can help re duce the stress and burden of caregiving.