Conditions We Treat
Expert Diagnosis and Treatment in Geriatric Psychiatry
We provide expert evaluation and treatment for a wide range of geriatric psychiatric conditions, including:
Mood and Anxiety Disorders
- Late-life depression
- Late-life anxiety
- Situational depression and anxiety related to aging, illness, or caregiving
Neuropsychiatric and Behavioral Symptoms
- Apathy, irritability, and mood changes
- Sleep disturbances
- Anxiety related to cognitive decline
- Behavioral symptoms associated with dementia
Comorbid Medical and Neurologic Conditions
- Psychiatric symptoms in brain conditions including strokes and Parkinson’s disease
- Psychiatric care in the context of chronic illness such as heart failure, lung disease, and cancer
- Medication complexity and polypharmacy
Geriatric Psychiatry Services
Comprehensive Outpatient Psychiatric Care for Older Adults
Keen Psychiatry provides specialized outpatient geriatric psychiatric care focused on careful evaluation, expert consultation, and thoughtful medication management.
Initial Geriatric Psychiatric Evaluations
New patient evaluations are comprehensive and unhurried. Visits include a detailed review of psychiatric symptoms, medical history, medications, cognitive concerns, functional status, and psychosocial context. When appropriate, family members or caregivers may be involved to provide additional perspective.
Each evaluation results in clear diagnostic impressions and individualized treatment recommendations tailored to the needs of older adults.
Ongoing Medication Management
Follow-up visits focus on expert medication management for late-life psychiatric and cognitive conditions. Appointments emphasize:
- Age-appropriate medication selection
- Minimizing side effects, drug interactions, and cognitive burden
- Ongoing reassessment as medical conditions and goals of care evolve
- Deprescribing when risks outweigh benefits
Our goal is to use medications judiciously to support function, comfort, and quality of life.
Psychiatric Consultation for Complex Geriatric Cases
We offer consultation for older adults with complex presentations, including multiple medical comorbidities, cognitive disorders, polypharmacy, or treatment-resistant symptoms. Consultation may include diagnostic clarification and treatment recommendations that can be shared with other members of the patient’s care team.
Caregiver Education and Guidance
While we do not provide formal individual psychotherapy, caregiver education and guidance are an integral part of geriatric psychiatric care. We help caregivers understand diagnoses, medication decisions, behavioral symptoms, and realistic expectations, with an emphasis on practical strategies and support.
Our Approach to Medications in Older Adults
Safe, Conservative Prescribing in Geriatric Psychiatry
Older adults are often more sensitive to medications and more vulnerable to side effects. Our prescribing philosophy emphasizes:
- Starting low and going slow
- Regular reassessment of benefit versus risk
- Avoidance of unnecessary medications
- Thoughtful deprescribing when appropriate
Our goal is not simply to add medications, but to use them judiciously to improve function, comfort, and quality of life.