Priya N. Sandhu;Marcus D. Rennick;Catherine J. Alva
Synopsis "Geriatric Psychiatry Decision Manual"
When an older patient's mind or mood changes, the first decision is the one that matters most. Is this delirium, dementia, depression, a drug effect, or a medical illness hiding behind a psychiatric picture? In later life the same presentation can have many causes, and the wrong first step can lead to harm that is hard to undo. This clinical textbook is built around those decisions, from the first presentation to long-term treatment, monitoring, and escalation. Every clinical chapter follows an 18-stage decision pathway that runs through presentation, red flags, history and collateral, mental status, cognitive and functional assessment, medication review, medical and neurological rule-outs, differential diagnosis, investigations, formulation, risk, treatment, geriatric modifications, monitoring, follow-up, and escalation. Medication guidance separates FDA-approved, off-label, and limited-evidence uses, shows label doses in clearly marked boxes, and explains where authoritative sources disagree instead of hiding the disagreement. Inside you will find 34 chapters covering assessment, cognitive testing, the dementias, delirium, late-life depression, psychosis, mania, anxiety, behavioral symptoms of dementia, sleep, substance and medication misuse, and neuropsychiatric conditions Three full chapters on delirium: recognition, finding the cause, and management and prevention 28 step-by-step decision algorithms, including acute confusion, new psychosis after 65, agitation in dementia, insomnia, polypharmacy review, suicidal ideation, and capacity assessment 15 core side-by-side comparison tables, such as delirium versus dementia, depression versus dementia, apathy versus depression, and Lewy body dementia versus Alzheimer disease 41 worked clinical cases, each reasoned from presentation and clues through differential, investigation, management, and follow-up Geriatric psychopharmacology, polypharmacy, and deprescribing chapters with drug profiles, monitoring tables, and tapering guidance Decision-making capacity, suicide and safety risk, ECT and somatic treatments, psychotherapy adaptations, and care settings from clinic to hospice Rating scales and diagnostic criteria are described in original wording, not reproduced. Evidence was reviewed through October 2026. Written for psychiatrists, geriatricians, primary care clinicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, psychologists, and trainees who care for older adults.Scroll up and get yours
