Abstract
This chapter reviews inpatient treatment modalities for older patients with schizophrenia. Given the changes in mental health service delivery, many of the residents of institutional care are elderly patients with a lifelong history of schizophrenia. Many of these patients have lived in these institutions for decades and have been referred from one institution to another as they aged. Thus, the history of institutional care and the processes of aging in schizophrenia are uniquely related. In this chapter we will examine the characteristics of psychiatric institutions, the treatments that are offered, and the types of patients who receive them. We will also critically evaluate whether long-stay institutional care has any positive features and will present a balanced perspective on changes in mental health care that affect older patients with schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)