Streamlining assessments and treatments for geriatric mental health in medical rehabilitation

The past decade has seen dramatic health care changes that profoundly affect the way rehabilitation psychologists are able to provide care for older adults. Increased medical comorbidities and decreased lengths of stay have made it necessary for rehabilitation psychologists to streamline their services. This commentary shares the authors' experience in creating new tools to increase efficiency while retaining effectiveness. The four areas the authors discuss include (a) a tool for triaging cases, (b) a brief battery for cognitive evaluations, (c) a treatment approach for depression that can be delivered in the hospital or outpatient clinic setting, and (d) increased interdisciplinary team communication and function. Each of these approaches has been researched, validated, and cross-validated in geriatric settings.