Piedmont Geriatric Hospital is a geriatric hospital located in the state of Virginia. It is the only state facility of Virginia solely dedicated to the evaluation and care of persons over 65 [1]. The 123-bed geriatric hospital is located in Burkeville on a 300-acre (120Ã, ha) site of the former Piedmont Sanatorium. Founded in 1967, the facility employs 320 staff members and is a training ground for major universities, colleges and vocational schools in geropsychiatry and other clinical specialties.
Video Piedmont Geriatric Hospital
History
The 300-hectare PGH site was originally the Piedmont Sanatorium, a break home for African Americans with tuberculosis. Sanatorium closed in 1965 and converted into geriatric hospital in 1967. In 1985, PGH was accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organization.
In 1999, word leaked out that PGH was scheduled to close under the 1999-2000 budget of Governor George Allen [2]. The legislature chose to keep PGH open with funding allocated until 2000.
On 25 November 2000, Richmond Times-Dispatch cited administrative leaks that PGH would close in 2006. State Senator Frank Ruff speculated that the information was leaked intentionally to gauge public reaction [3]. Local officials and the Piedmont Geriatric Association are set to oppose the closure, and the Legislature funded PGH for 2000.
In 2002, Governor Mark R. Warner proposed a budget change to close PGH and Delegate Robert McDonnell introduced House Bill 995 to close Piedmont in 2007 [4]. Nottoway Supervisor Jack Green calls this the most serious threat to the facility's closure to date. He noted the state's desire to save money and the attraction of 300 acres of hospital property for other building projects. The bill was ratified after amendment to eliminate provisions for "close Piedmont Geriatric Hospital, opened in 1967 and located in Burkeville, not earlier than July 1, 2007" [5].
In 2004, the Department of Mental Health, Mental Surgery, and Mental Substance Abuse proposed the construction of a facility to accommodate the 150 most dangerous sex offenders in Virginia on the grounds of PGH. The facility will stand on its own and not occupy the same building as PGH. The reasons for choosing the Burkeville site include its proximity to Nottoway Medical Center, which can provide backup security assistance, and the nearest temporary sex worker unit in Dinwiddie, whose workforce can easily switch to new facilities. [6]
The offenders are under the control of DMHMRS, not the prison system, as they have already completed their prison sentences but still meet the criteria for civil commitment as predators of sexual violence [7].
Maps Piedmont Geriatric Hospital
Citizen
PGH treats the elderly (age 65) who:
- In need of inpatient care for mental illness,
- Meet the requirements for voluntary or non-voluntary acceptance as determined by their mental health center, and
- Do not have a medical condition that requires priority care in an acute care hospital.
According to the PGH facility profile, "80-90% of PGH receipts come from a complex combination of psychiatric and physical disorders whose needs are not met in a traditional medical or psychiatric setting" [8]. Many hospital residents are transferred there because of the complex behavior that nursing homes are not equipped to manage [9]. Under Virginia law, patients should be removed from a nursing home if they [10]:
- Presents physical threats or threats that are self-threatening or others,
- Requires ongoing licensed nursing care (seven days a week, 24 hours a day), or
- Have other medical and functional care needs of the population that can not be properly met at assisted living facilities.
Services
Music therapy
Music therapy part of the Psychosocial-Rehabilitation Department.
Music therapy is the use of music and music prescribed to restore, maintain, and promote health, emotion, physical, physiological, and spiritual. Music therapy works towards specific therapeutic goals and targets. Target areas include communicative, academic, motor, emotional, and social skills. It is important to realize that while clients can develop their musical skills during care, these skills are not the therapist's main concern. Rather it is the effect of such musical development possible on the physical, psychological and socio-economic functions of the client.
The credential Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC) is awarded by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) to identify music therapists who have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities required to practice music therapy at the current profession level. The purpose of board certification in music therapy is to provide objective national standards that can be used as a measure of professionalism by interested institutions, groups, and individuals.
Psychology
The Psychology Department of PGH provides nonpharmacological evaluation and intervention for all PGH patients. The evaluations include neurocognitive, emotional, personality, decision-making, and forensic evaluation skills. Interventions include, inter alia, individual psychotherapy, group therapy, psychoeducation sessions, and behavioral planning. Psychologist PGH is also active in hospital administration, program evaluation, performance improvement, and risk management activities. The research effort of the hospital is also overseen by the Department of Psychology.
The Department of Psychology uses the latest techniques available in the current research literature. Departmental staff serve as internal and external leaders regarding the latest knowledge in mental health and behavioral research, and have developed many innovative protocols and methods to serve their clients optimally. Psychology is also involved in clinical teaching, serving as a practicum site for local doctoral and masters programs and offering frequent seminars for community elder providers through the Piedmont Geriatric Institute.
PGH Psychology consists of four licensed clinical psychologists, one resident in clinical psychology, and an administrative assistant.
Organization
Unit
PGH's 123 residents are divided into four units of approximately 30 residents each. Staff for each unit consist of Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Direct Service Associates.
Shift
The staff is arranged in afternoon, afternoon, and evening shifts. During the afternoon shift, staff members of physics, recreation, work, Psychology, and Music Therapy, as well as social workers and Chaplain visit each unit. During night and night shifts, the nurse unit coordinator and the nursing home supervisor make the rounds.
Inspector
This facility is regularly checked by the Office of the Inspector General. The unannounced review conducted between 1999 and 2004 has consistently reported a clean, comfortable, and well maintained environment.
Note
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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