Geriatric Mental Health and Memory Care
Our Mission
To optimize cognitive health, mental health, and well-being for older adults and their families through clinical care, education, research, community engagement, and workforce development.
UR Medicine is a nationally recognized center for excellence in geriatric psychiatry and has the only geriatric mental health division in upstate New York. Our division consists of an outpatient older adult service, an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit, and a distinguished memory care program. We conduct clinical research, participating in a number of national and international studies.
Patient Care
We are committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and partnering with patients and their families to provide care that is accessible and individualized.
Older Adult Services
Our outpatient services works with individuals and families to provide specialized mental health care for adults age 65 and older, including individual, family, and group counseling.
Geriatric Psychiatry Inpatient Unit
A multidisciplinary team focused on the acute management of emotional distress and psychiatric illness in older adults.
Learn more about our Inpatient Unit
Memory Care Program
The Memory Care Program provides diagnosis, treatment, and care of neurodegenerative conditions that affect the elderly and the aging nervous system.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) at Memory Care Program
ADC at UR Medicine is designed to help persons living with dementia and their loved ones meet the complex medical, behavioral, and social needs of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
Capacity Evaluation Clinic at Memory Care Program
The Clinic is a specialized program that completes a comprehensive psychiatric assessment to determine if an individual is able to engage in different types of decision-making.
Finger Lakes Center of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease
Created to serve persons with Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia in the Finger Lakes region, as well as their families.
Geriatric Telepsychiatry
Providing consultations across New York State to multidisciplinary teams in skilled nursing facilities and patients in rural hospitals.
Our Research
AD-CARE: Alzheimer's Disease Care, Research and Education Program
AD-CARE is an internationally recognized clinical research program committed to Alzheimer’s and Dementia research. We participate in several national and international research initiatives that offer people with memory disorders the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research.
The HOPE Lab: Helping Older People Engage
The HOPE lab studies strategies, including HARP, we can all use to maintain and increase well-being as we grow older. We study ways to maintain and grow meaningful social connections in later life. We focus on testing interventions to promote social engagement, social connectedness, and well-being.
HARP: Healthy Aging Research Program
Connection for Latinos’ objective is to learn how to help individuals caring for a family member with dementia improve their social support and social relationships by understanding their experiences and barriers to making social connections.
VA Center of Excellence Geriatric Suicide Prevention Lab
The VA Center of Excellence Geriatric Suicide Prevention Lab located at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center supports the design and conduct of research on the correlates of, and risk factors for, suicidal behaviors in aging populations.
Education and Training
The University of Rochester Medical Center is a nationally recognized center for excellence in geriatric psychiatry, along with allied fields including neurobiology and aging, gerontology and geriatric medicine. Our training venues and partnerships are ideal for helping fellows and clinicians acquire the specialized knowledge and skills needed to provide primary and consultative mental health care to geriatric patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Training Program
The Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Training Program is one of the country's oldest and the only program in upstate New York. Since 1983, URMC has focused on state-of-the-art clinical care, education, and research.We offer a unique Geriatric Forensic Specialty Track that allows fellows to integrate geriatrics and forensics.
ECHO Geriatric Mental Health in Long Term Care (GEMH)
Project ECHO Geriatric Mental Health in Long Term Care (GEMH) was the first project ECHO®GEMH in New York State sponsored by the Office of Mental Health and a nationally recognized telementoring program designed to share our geriatric mental health expertise to create better outcomes for older adults living in skilled nursing facilities.
Faculty
Elizabeth J. Santos
Chief of Clinical Service
Anton Pjetur Porsteinsson
Co-Chief of Academic Affairs