Rome (N.Y.) Health has lowered the age for patients it accepts who need inpatient psychiatric care.
The nonprofit system's 12-bed behavioral health unit now accepts patients 45 and older who need inpatient psychiatric care due to acute symptoms associated with mental health illnesses such as clinical depression, anxiety disorders or bipolar illness, it said in a news release shared with Becker's on Nov. 27. Rome Health previously accepted patients 65 and older.
"We opened the behavioral health unit more than 20 years ago for seniors 65 and older," Chief Nursing Officer Ashley Edwards, MSN, RN, said in the release. "We've lowered the minimum age to 45 to meet the growing need in our community."
Rome Health said it accepts referrals for inpatient psychiatric care at all hours of the day, and the behavioral health unit medical director makes decisions regarding admissions.
The health system is an affiliate of Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph's Health and an affiliated clinical site of Valhalla-based New York Medical College.