Experiences of a Private-Practice Psychiatrist Working with the Elderly in the Community

There has been a definite shift in the attitude of many psychiatrists toward treating the elderly, thanks to growing recognition that caring for older people with psychiatric illness is one of the most significant challenges to the health and social services of developed countries for the rest of this century (Arie & Isaacs, 1978; World Health Organization, 1972). It is still true, however, that in the United States the elderly continue to be markedly underserved by both the private and the public sectors.