|
|
Senior Services at About the Benedum Team At the center, each patient is cared for by a treatment team made up of the professional staff best able to meet his or her needs. The staff includes psychiatrists, geriatricians, medical and psychiatric residents, nurse practitioners, nurses, and social workers. Physical therapists and occupational therapists also treat patients at the center. The geriatricians and psychiatrists at Benedum Geriatric Center are faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and practice at UPMC Presbyterian or Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Medical and psychiatric residents (physicians who are gaining further education in these specialties) care for patients under the supervision of the center’s geriatricians and psychiatrists. The physicians serve as medical directors for many of the long-term care facilities and nursing homes in southwestern Pennsylvania. This means that -- whether patients come for office visits, are hospitalized, or are admitted to long-term care -- they can continue to rely on a Benedum physician to oversee their care. Nurse practitioners at Benedum are registered nurses with education at the master’s or doctoral level. They provide advanced nursing care; perform physical examinations; discuss patients’ histories with them; and provide diet, exercise, and other health education. Registered nurses coordinate patient care and provide explanations about medications, tests, or treatments. Social workers with education at the master’s or doctoral level assess emotional and mental health. They provide counseling and therapy -- for the individual, family, or group. In addition, social workers provide information about available community services that an older adult may need. To care for patients most effectively, the treatment team begins by evaluating the patient’s medical, psychiatric, and social needs.
About UPMC | Health Med Info | Find a Doctor | UPMC Health Plan Contact UPMC | Search UPMC Web Site | UPMC Hospitals © 2007 UPMC |
