slideshow

WAYNE ALLEN

PDT Staff Writer

Southern Ohio Medical Center officials celebrated on Thursday the opening of the Senior Behavioral Medicine Care Unit.

The unit is equipped with 15 private rooms, a lounge and dining room.

According to SOMC, the secure, acute care service is for seniors experiencing symptoms such as dementia, depression, Alzheimer’s or psychosis. Patients also have access to psychiatric evaluations, group and individual psychotherapy, medication education and follow-up care that helps ensure health improvements are long lasting.

Leadership of the unit includes Dr. Adenike Moore, medical director of the unit; Steven Covington, interim program director; Valerie DeCamp, director of nursing for inpatient services and accreditation; Bonnie Underwood, nurse manager and Erica Kegley, BS of social services, community education manager.

Kegley said the unit was created because of a need in the community. She said the need became evident through emergency room visits and feedback received from area nursing homes and other sources.

“Our new unit provides a warm and supportive environment in which seniors can receive treatment for the conditions that may be causing discomfort in their lives,” DeCamp said.

Kegley said the unit will start to accept patients next week, with the average stay of 12-14 days.

The unit is on the second floor of SOMC’s Main Campus in Portsmouth. For more information, call 740-356-2200.

Wayne Allen may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 208, or wallen@heartlandpublications.com.