Psychogeriatrics 1974 to 1984. Expanding problems and fixed resources.

The impact of a 16% increase between censuses in the population aged 65 and over, on a psychogeriatric department whose bed complement remained static between 1974 and 1984, has been studied. Demand for service, as measured by new referrals, rose by 150%, while admissions fell by 14%. The increase in new referrals was uniform across the diagnostic spectrum, but the fall in admissions was not. Functional admissions fell in all age-groups except that of women of 85 and over, while organic-case admissions other than for cases of dementia virtually collapsed. Overall admissions for dementia rose to the predicted level, but the distribution of the increase was irregular and unexpected. Admissions of males and females aged 65-74 and females of 85 and over fell relatively and absolutely, while those of women aged 75-84 and men of 85 and over were little changed. Only admissions of men aged 75-84 alone increased in real terms.