What is the job description of a psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a medical professional trained in the understanding of mental disorders. They can conduct thorough evaluations, interviews, diagnose, develop treatment plans, prescribe medications, as well as make evaluations about the treatment progress for patients with mental, emotional, or behavioural disorders.
How does a psychiatrist help a dementia patient?
A psychiatrist can help assess and diagnose dementia, help the patient and the family manage the illness, prescribe medications to for aiding memory and thinking, managing behavioural issues like aggression as well as other symptoms, if present, such as depression, anxiety, or psychotic symptoms, review if the medications are working, and connect you to other mental health professionals and community services.
When to go to a psychiatrist for dementia?
When you start noticing early signs of dementia in your loved one, you may want to consult a psychiatrist. These include sleep disruption, agitation, anxiety, depression, and appetite changes – even if no noticeable memory capacity changes are evident.
Memory loss is one of the most key features of dementia. The person may also show difficulty with reasoning and judgment, recognizing objects or people, balancing or orienting their dress to themselves while clothing, speaking, writing, or reading, and/or behavioural and personality changes.
How can a psychiatrist help the dementia patient’s family?
A psychiatrist can educate the family of the dementia patient about the nature of the illness and the requirement of medications and other resources. Regular appointments with the psychiatrist can ensure the dementia symptoms are managed to the extent that it can be, making it easier for the family who often act as caregivers, thereby preventing burnout. A psychiatrist can also help identify and prescribe medications for other mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety for the dementia patient as well as other family members.
