April 7, 2021

Geriatric Behavioral Health: Succeeding By Adapting

Central, Clinical Partners, Rural Health

When you ask Brandon Pellaton, manager of Social Services at CentraCare – Monticello, about the Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit, he immediately talks about the people they care for. “We get so many opportunities to help patients and their families that it’s incredibly rewarding,” he said. “We’ve had patients with dementia who were becoming aggressive in a memory care unit, and we were able to provide specific therapy and medication to help them improve their quality of life. We’ve also helped many patients who were in crisis.”

The need for mental health services, particularly in the 55 and older population, is what prompted CentraCare – Monticello to open the Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit in 2017. Since that time, the 10-bed unit has evolved to meet the needs of patients in the community. The unit admits patients with a mental health diagnosis as well as patients with dementia who are experiencing behavioral disturbances. Those patients then receive tailored therapeutic programming based on their specific needs.

“We’ve learned a lot over the last four years and we’ve gone through a number of transitions.”

“We’ve learned a lot over the last four years, and we’ve gone through a number of transitions,” said Amanda Ripplinger, Manager of Inpatient Services, which includes the Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit. When the program started, it was one of the first geriatrician-led units in the country, with psych consults available when needed. Now, the unit is psychiatry-led, with the hospitalist team from St. Cloud providing medical coverage.

“Typically, one of the biggest barriers to getting treatment and services is having a psychiatrist present,” Ripplinger said. “Fortunately, we are blessed to be able to partner with the psychiatric team in St. Cloud, which has made a huge difference. And having the hospitalist team here has been amazing.”

This structure has also allowed the team to accept more acutely ill patients. “Having psychiatry coverage five days a week means we can now care for more patients experiencing acute mental health concerns compared to when we only had coverage a couple days,” explained Ripplinger. “And with our hospitalist coverage, we’re able to accept more complex medical patients as well.”

“We hear a lot from family members and they’re often expressing joy over what we’ve been able to give them back.”

She also credits the unit’s success to the team’s willingness to continue learning and adapting. “This past year, the team embraced new technology such as tele-psychiatry and tele-psychotherapy, which proved to be crucial in treating patients during the pandemic,” said Ripplinger. “This was in addition to our therapeutic programming that includes clinical-based groups run by psychotherapy, music therapy, animal assistive therapy, and spiritual care services.”

For Ripplinger, the feedback from families is not only motivating, but it also speaks to the impact this service has on the community. “We hear a lot from family members and they’re often expressing joy over what we’ve been able to give them back. To get their loved one back into a home community – whether that’s living with a family member, or independent in the community. Our work is definitely making a difference.”