Psychology in Inpatient Services for Older People
People are admitted to inpatient mental health or dementia wards when they experience serious mental health issues or a crisis that makes it unsafe for them to stay at home. People admitted to one of these wards usually need help from more than one type of healthcare professional (called a multi-disciplinary approach ), which might include psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, dieticians, psychiatrists, health care support workers, administration staff, and psychological professionals. People may be admitted voluntarily or be detained under the Mental Health Act.
Who works here
- Clinical Psychologist
- Assistant Psychologist
- Multi-Profession Approved Clinician
For more information on Psychology in Inpatient services for Dementia and Mental Health in Older Adults, you can contact the Lead Psychologist for the Older People Care Unit Inpatient Services Dr Abigail Robinson (Abigail.Robinson@nottshc.nhs.uk)
Mental health Wards
Cherry ward, at Highbury, and Robin ward, at Blossomwood.
Working with the person
Hospital inpatient stays are usually short and so psychology support is adapted for this. Psychological professionals can provide one-to-one therapy for people who might benefit from this, but it won't be suitable for everyone (possibly because of their specific difficulty, style of thinking, or how well they are when they are in hospital).
Psychology sessions usually focus on creating an understanding of someone's issues that can then help treatment later on, for example when the person leaves hospital. Sometimes, this might include inviting family members to add to the sessions with the patient's consent.
Clinical Psychologists can also asses and diagnose neurodegenerative conditions (like dementia) or test other, broader skills like memory or attention. Some people may also be referred for these assessments depending on their difficulties.
Working with the team
Psychological professionals are an integrated part of the multidisciplinary team and usually take part in patient reviews, even if the patient is not receiving one-to-one therapy sessions. Psychological professionals help to create a joint understanding of someone's difficulties by bringing together all areas of their care, not just from their medical history and any diagnoses but also someone's life story, values and beliefs, family and friends, and their personality. This is called formulation. Formulation helps the ward team support the patient during their stay and plan the best steps for discharge.
Dementia Wards
Kingfisher ward, at Blossomwood, and Silver birch ward, at Highbury.
Working with the person
Dementia is a set of conditions that affect memory, thinking and other mental skills which gradually get worse over time. If someone with advanced dementia becomes very distressed and it is not safe for them to stay at home, they might be admitted to a Dementia Ward in Hospital.
People at this stage are not usually able to engage in one-to-one psychological therapy, so psychological professionals support these patients by supporting the staff team who do work directly with patients. This is outlined in the following section.
Working with the team
Psychological professionals are an integrated part of the multidisciplinary team and take part in most patient reviews (even if the patient is not receiving one-to-one psychological support). Psychological professionals help to create a joint understanding of someone's difficulties by bringing together all areas of their care, not just from their medical history and any diagnoses but also someone's life story, values and beliefs, family and friends, and their personality.
This is called formulation. Formulation helps the ward team support the patient during their stay and plan the best steps for discharge. Dementia can affect people in different ways and someone's behaviour is often very different from when that person was well. It is helpful to try and understand how a person is now in relation to their history and events of their life (their formulation).
A person's formulation can then help the staff who look after someone with dementia to better meet their needs and support them. This approach guides the ward team on how to care for the person in the hospital and plan for their needs after discharge.
Updated: 10 July 2025 by Kate Shepherd
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