Hartselle Medical Center

Gero-Psych

Older adults have many complex needs and face life changes that can ultimately affect their emotional health and well being. In 1995, Hartselle Medical Center opened New Day in order to help patients and their families meet these complicated challenges. It was the first inpatient unit in North Alabama to specialize in geriatric mental health services and the patient testimonials speak for themselves. It is still the only facility in the region that provides certain specialty care, including Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) services.

New Day is located on the second floor of Hartselle Medical Center, which allows us to transfer a patient to an acute care setting in case of an emergency or crisis. Our philosophy is simple- to provide quality, comprehensive mental health services to our surrounding communities and local area.

Dr. Sanjay Malhotra leads our treatment team and serves as our Medical Director at New Day. A board-certified psychiatrist, he specializes in geriatric psychiatry. New Day’s treatment team consists of psychiatrists, medical doctors, nurses, social workers, activities staff, mental health technicians, and licensed counselors. Our team approach provides holistic mental health care in a structured environment. This approach is used to provide quality care meeting the patient’s medical and medication needs, as well as the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of each patient and his/her family. Our dedicated staff is highly specialized and trained in managing and treating dementias, mood disorders, psychosis, and behavioral disturbances.Among the signs and symptoms experienced by those who need geriatric mental health services are:

• Loss of will to live
• Depressed mood with chronic feelings of anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness
• Irritability and anger
• Personality or behavior changes
• Hallucination and/or delusions
• Inability to care for self and/or home
• Sleep and appetite changes
• Confusion and/or memory loss
• Resistance with care and/or medications
• Verbal or physical aggression
• Toxic effects of medications

Our range of services includes:

• Inpatient assessment and treatment
• Outpatient assessment, treatment, and follow up
• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
• Individual and group counseling and activities
• Family counseling and education
• Medication management
• Medical consultation

Intake and Admissions Process

• Anyone can make a referral by simply calling (256) 751-3033.
• Information is obtained about the observed symptoms such as the patient’s mood, appetite, sleep, and thought process. This will determine if the patient meets criteria for hospitalization. If hospitalization is not needed, we will provide you with a list of other resources for treatment, such as outpatient treatment or medical follow-up.

Treatment Process

• When a patient is admitted for stabilization and treatment, he/she will undergo a thorough psychiatric and medical work up to determine the patient’s treatment needs and to determine goals. Each patient has an individualized treatment plan which helps guide the patient’s treatment course. If additional services are needed, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and medical consultations, etc., referrals will be provided to enhance and improve patient outcomes.  Average length of stay is 10-12 days. Length of stay will depend on many factors and varies from patient to patient. Our staff works diligently to keep families informed of patient progress and outcome.
• Our social work staff begins at the time of admission to help assist families with discharge planning. Please note that we do not provide placement services, but do provide feedback on the patient’s level of care and functioning. Appropriate referrals will be made as needed.

Patient and Family Education

• As each patient is evaluated and assessed, our qualified staff will provide families with the most up to date education on the patient’s illness, diagnosis, etiology, and expected treatment outcome.
• Family education group is offered weekly on Wednesday from 1-2pm to provide families with an opportunity to interact with others and discuss the patient symptoms and identify coping skills to help manage the many struggles families face in caring for a loved one.
• As evaluations and assessments occur, our staff will make recommendations for continued care based on the patient’s overall functioning and care needs.

Outpatient Clinic and Follow Up

• The Hartselle Behavioral Health Clinic offers outpatient psychiatric services to those ages 30 and older. Dr. Sanjay Malhotra and his qualified staff offer one on one evaluation and assessment, as well as continued services to assist with your specific mental health needs. Call 256-773-4955 to discuss our outpatient services.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) services are available both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. ECT is used to enhance outcomes for patients who are at high risk for suicide, treatment resistant depression and psychosis. ECT is a safe and effective way to manage a variety of mental health symptoms and has an overall success rate of 80-90%.

Other Services

Clergy/Prayer Ministries

Hartselle Medical Center offers a multi-denominational Chaplain Service. Chaplains volunteer their time, so please contact your nurse for more information about this service. Your personal Minister is also welcome.

To read an electronic version of our Mental Health Minute newsletter for November/December 2011, please click here -> November_December_2011-Mental-Health-Minute