Psychiatric Service for the Elderly: How Many Beds?

Abstract

Reported here is a cohort study of five years' bed usage in the Goodmayes Psychiatric Unit for Old People. Patients first admitted in 1970 continued to use beds, by readmission or by continuing stay, over the next four years; subsequent cohorts of admissions made correspondingly extended use of beds. Bed-usage by men appears now to have stabilized, whilst for women it is still rising. Over the first six years the bed complement was reduced by 40%, despite an increase in referrals of over 40%; this is because the Unit's style of work prevented newly admitted patients from accumulating in beds made available by deaths. It looks as if in future not only will patients who die by replaced by new female admissions but more beds will be needed for these admissions. The present bed-usage is just within the Government's recommended guidelines, and the local issues are considered in the context of national policy.