Mental Health Services for Older People

If you, or a member of your family, are an older person suffering from a mental health problem, such as depression or dementia, there are a number of ways that we can support you.

We may care for you in your own home, in our memory clinic or in our purpose built unit in North Tyneside hospital.

Community mental health teams

There are two community mental Health teams for people living in their own homes, one covering Whitley Bay and Tynemouth, the other North Shields and Wallsend. There is also a dedicated team, the nursing home team, for people living in care homes.

Referral is usually from your GP and the team will contact you to arrange to see you, usually in your own home. The person who comes to see you might be a community psychiatric nurse, a social worker, an occupational therapist or a psychiatrist. They will agree a plan with you including any necessary treatment.

Memory clinic

The memory clinic is a facility to assess older people who are concerned about their memory or cognitive function. Following referral from your GP, the nursing staff will undertake a full assessment of your mental health problems and your memory and you will be reviewed by a consultant psychiatrist to develop a plan of treatment.

Here you will be given a thorough assessment of memory problems and, may be referred to hospital for a scan. The clinic is a useful source of information and we work closely with the voluntary sector and other agencies to provide support to you and your family.

Liaison service

If you are a patient in a medical or surgical ward at North Tyneside General Hospital for a physical health problem, but also have mental health needs, you can be assessed by our liaison team. You may be seen by a nurse, or a psychiatrist who will look at your current mental health needs.

Mental health inpatient wards

For some patients, staying in hospital on a mental health ward for treatment will be the best option and our purpose-built unit at North Tyneside General Hospital provides a bright and welcoming area. This specially designed facility has three separate wards, two to care for patients living with dementia and one ward for other mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression and psychosis.

All patient rooms have en-suite facilities with special facilities for patients who need help with bathing. Communal day rooms encourage patients to come together for meals and social activities and each ward has a garden area for patients to enjoy the fresh air.

The early onset dementia service

If you are under 65 years old and have concerns about your memory or have a diagnosis of dementia and live in North Tyneside, you may be seen by our early onset dementia team. This consists of a community psychiatric nurse and a support worker with input from a consultant psychiatrist and a psychologist. Once you have been referred by your GP, the team will work with you to develop a plan of care and treatment.