Piedmont Geriatric Hospital
Encyclopedia
Piedmont Geriatric Hospital is a geriatric
hospital located in the state of Virginia, USA. It is Virginia's only state facility solely dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of persons over the age of 65 http://www.oig.state.va.us/Facility_Reports/Piedmont%20Geriatric%20Hospital%20Snapshot%20Inspection%20Feb%202003.htm. The 123-bed geriatric
hospital is located in Burkeville
on the 300 acre (1.2 km²) site of the former Piedmont Sanatorium
. Founded in 1967, the facility employs 320 staff members and is a training site for major universities, colleges, and vocational schools in geropsychiatry and other clinical specialties.
According to PGH's facility profile, "80-90% of PGH's admissions come from a complex combination of psychiatric and physical impairments whose needs are not met in traditional medical or psychiatric settings"http://www.pgh.state.va.us/facility_profile.htm. Many hospital residents are transferred there because of complex behavior that nursing home
s are not equipped to manage http://www.oig.state.va.us/Facility_Reports/Piedmont%20Geriatric%20Hospital%20Snapshot%20Inspection%20Feb%202003.htm. Under Virginia law, patients must be transferred out of nursing homes if they http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+63.2-1805:
part of the Psychosocial-Rehabilitation Department.
Music therapy is the prescribed use of music and musical interventions in order to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological, and spiritual health and well-being. Music therapy works towards specific therapeutic goals and objectives. Goal areas include communicative, academic, motor, emotional, and social skills. It is important to be aware that while clients may develop their musical skills during treatment, these skills are not the primary concern of the therapist. Rather it is the effect such musical development might have on the client's physical, psychological and socio-economical functioning.
The credential Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC) is granted by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) to identify music therapists who have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to practice music therapy at the current level of the profession. The purpose of board certification in music therapy is to provide an objective national standard that can be used as a measure of professionalism by interested agencies, groups, and individuals.
Department provides evaluations and nonpharmacological interventions for all PGH patients. Evaluations provided vary widely and include neurocognitive, emotional, personality, decision-making capacity, and forensic
evaluations. Interventions include, among others, individual psychotherapy
, group therapy
, psychoeducational sessions, and behavior planning. PGH Psychologists are also active in hospital administration, program evaluation, performance improvement, and risk management activities. Hospital research efforts are also overseen by the Psychology Department.
The Psychology Department utilizes the most current techniques available in current research literature. Department staff serve as leaders within and outside of the hospital regarding current knowledge in mental health and behavioral research, and have developed many innovative protocols and methods to optimally serve their clientele. Psychology is also heavily involved in clinical teaching, serving as a practicum site for Virginia Commonwealth University graduate students (Clinical and Counseling Psychology) and offering frequent seminars for community eldercare providers through Piedmont Geriatric Institute.
PGH Psychology consists of three full-time doctoral level clinicians, one predoctoral intern, and an administrative assistant.
The internship provides a training program that follows the standards set by APPIC. This includes at least 2 hours per week of individual supervision by licensed clinical psychologists, a comprehensive didactics program, participation in monthly case conferences, multiple opportunities for training and collaboration with fellow students, and myriad clinical experiences. In addition, all four membership agencies place a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary team work.
s, Licensed Practical Nurse
s, and Direct Service Associates.
, recreational
, occupational
, Psychology
, and Music Therapy staff, as well as social workers and the Chaplain visit each unit. During the evening and night shifts, unit nursing coordinators and the house-nursing supervisor make rounds.
, a rest home for African Americans with tuberculosis
. The Sanatorium was closed in 1965 and converted into a geriatric hospital in 1967. In 1985, PGH was accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
In 1999, word leaked out that PGH was slated to be closed under the 1999-2000 budget of Governor George Allenhttp://www.afscme.org/publications/steward/stew99w3.htm. The Legislature voted to keep PGH open with funding allocated through 2000.
On November 25, 2000, the Richmond Times-Dispatch
cited an administration leak that PGH would be closed by 2006. State Senator Frank Ruff speculated that the information was leaked on purpose in order to gauge the public's reaction http://www.blackstoneva.com/courier/121400.shtml. Local officials and the Piedmont Geriatric Association organized to oppose the closure, and the Legislature funded PGH for 2000.
In 2002, Governor Mark R. Warner proposed budget amendments to shut down PGH and Delegate Robert McDonnell introduced House Bill 995 to close Piedmont by 2007 http://www.blackstoneva.com/courier/012402a.shtml. Nottoway Supervisor Jack Green called it the facility's most serious closure threat to date. He noted the state's desire to save money and the attractiveness of the hospital's 300 acre (1.2 km²) estate for other building projects. The bill passed after it was amended to eliminate the provision to "close Piedmont Geriatric Hospital, opened in 1967 and located in Burkeville, no earlier than July 1, 2007"http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=021&typ=bil&val=hb995.
In 2004, the state Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse proposed building a facility to house 150 of Virginia's most dangerous sex offenders on PGH grounds. The facility would be self-contained and not occupy the same buildings as PGH. Reasons for selecting the Burkeville site included its proximity to Nottoway Correctional Center
, which could provide backup security help, and the nearby temporary sex offender
s unit in Dinwiddie, whose workers could easily transition to the new facility.http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/print.cfm?story=64674&ran=48466
The offenders in question fall under the control of the DMHMRS, rather than the prison system, because they have completed their prison sentences but still meet the criteria for civil commitment as sexually violent predators http://www.oig.state.va.us/Annual_Reports/oigfinal.pdf.
Geriatrics
Geriatrics is a sub-specialty of internal medicine and family medicine that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or...
hospital located in the state of Virginia, USA. It is Virginia's only state facility solely dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of persons over the age of 65 http://www.oig.state.va.us/Facility_Reports/Piedmont%20Geriatric%20Hospital%20Snapshot%20Inspection%20Feb%202003.htm. The 123-bed geriatric
Geriatrics
Geriatrics is a sub-specialty of internal medicine and family medicine that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or...
hospital is located in Burkeville
Burkeville, Virginia
Burkeville is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 489 at the 2000 census. The source of the town name is disputed. The town is located on the crossroads of U.S. Routes 360 and 460....
on the 300 acre (1.2 km²) site of the former Piedmont Sanatorium
Piedmont Sanatorium
Piedmont Sanatorium was a rest home for tubercular African Americans in Burkeville, Virginia from 1917 to 1965. It was the first facility of its kind ever to be established in the United States...
. Founded in 1967, the facility employs 320 staff members and is a training site for major universities, colleges, and vocational schools in geropsychiatry and other clinical specialties.
Residents
PGH treats elderly persons (65+ years of age) who:- Are in need of inpatient treatment for mental illness,
- Meet the requirements for voluntary or involuntary admission as determined by their mental healthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
center, and - Do not have a medical condition that requires priority treatment in an acute careAcute careAcute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery...
hospital.
According to PGH's facility profile, "80-90% of PGH's admissions come from a complex combination of psychiatric and physical impairments whose needs are not met in traditional medical or psychiatric settings"http://www.pgh.state.va.us/facility_profile.htm. Many hospital residents are transferred there because of complex behavior that nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
s are not equipped to manage http://www.oig.state.va.us/Facility_Reports/Piedmont%20Geriatric%20Hospital%20Snapshot%20Inspection%20Feb%202003.htm. Under Virginia law, patients must be transferred out of nursing homes if they http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+63.2-1805:
- Present an imminent physical threat or danger to self or others,
- Require continuous licensed nursing care (seven-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day), or
- Have other medical and functional care needs of residents that cannot properly be met in an assisted living facility.
Music therapy
Music therapyMusic therapy
Music therapy is an allied health profession and one of the expressive therapies, consisting of an interpersonal process in which a trained music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their...
part of the Psychosocial-Rehabilitation Department.
Music therapy is the prescribed use of music and musical interventions in order to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological, and spiritual health and well-being. Music therapy works towards specific therapeutic goals and objectives. Goal areas include communicative, academic, motor, emotional, and social skills. It is important to be aware that while clients may develop their musical skills during treatment, these skills are not the primary concern of the therapist. Rather it is the effect such musical development might have on the client's physical, psychological and socio-economical functioning.
The credential Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC) is granted by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) to identify music therapists who have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to practice music therapy at the current level of the profession. The purpose of board certification in music therapy is to provide an objective national standard that can be used as a measure of professionalism by interested agencies, groups, and individuals.
Psychology
The PGH PsychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
Department provides evaluations and nonpharmacological interventions for all PGH patients. Evaluations provided vary widely and include neurocognitive, emotional, personality, decision-making capacity, and forensic
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
evaluations. Interventions include, among others, individual psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
, group therapy
Group therapy
Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group...
, psychoeducational sessions, and behavior planning. PGH Psychologists are also active in hospital administration, program evaluation, performance improvement, and risk management activities. Hospital research efforts are also overseen by the Psychology Department.
The Psychology Department utilizes the most current techniques available in current research literature. Department staff serve as leaders within and outside of the hospital regarding current knowledge in mental health and behavioral research, and have developed many innovative protocols and methods to optimally serve their clientele. Psychology is also heavily involved in clinical teaching, serving as a practicum site for Virginia Commonwealth University graduate students (Clinical and Counseling Psychology) and offering frequent seminars for community eldercare providers through Piedmont Geriatric Institute.
PGH Psychology consists of three full-time doctoral level clinicians, one predoctoral intern, and an administrative assistant.
Psychology Pre-Doctoral Internship
The Central Virginia Consortium of Richmond, VA is a Greater Richmond partnership of four member agencies: Jewish Family Services, Piedmont Geriatric Hospital, Cumberland Hospital, and Eastern State Hospital.The internship provides a training program that follows the standards set by APPIC. This includes at least 2 hours per week of individual supervision by licensed clinical psychologists, a comprehensive didactics program, participation in monthly case conferences, multiple opportunities for training and collaboration with fellow students, and myriad clinical experiences. In addition, all four membership agencies place a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary team work.
Units
PGH's 123 residents are divided into four units of approximately 30 residents each. The staff for each unit consists of Registered NurseRegistered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
s, Licensed Practical Nurse
Licensed Practical Nurse
Licensed practical nurse is the term used in much of the United States and most Canadian provinces to refer to a nurse who cares for "people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. The term licensed vocational nurses is used in...
s, and Direct Service Associates.
Shifts
The staff are organized into day, evening, and night shifts. During the day shift, members of the physicalPhysical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
, recreational
Recreational therapy
Recreational therapy, also referred to as recreation therapy and therapeutic recreation, is a treatment service that provides treatments and recreation activities to individuals with illnesses or disabling conditions to improve or maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being and help reduce...
, occupational
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
, Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and Music Therapy staff, as well as social workers and the Chaplain visit each unit. During the evening and night shifts, unit nursing coordinators and the house-nursing supervisor make rounds.
Inspectors
The facility is inspected routinely by the Office of the Inspector General. Unannounced reviews conducted between 1999 and 2004 consistently reported clean, comfortable, and well-maintained surroundings.History
The 300 acre (1.2 km²) site of PGH was originally Piedmont SanatoriumPiedmont Sanatorium
Piedmont Sanatorium was a rest home for tubercular African Americans in Burkeville, Virginia from 1917 to 1965. It was the first facility of its kind ever to be established in the United States...
, a rest home for African Americans with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. The Sanatorium was closed in 1965 and converted into a geriatric hospital in 1967. In 1985, PGH was accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
In 1999, word leaked out that PGH was slated to be closed under the 1999-2000 budget of Governor George Allenhttp://www.afscme.org/publications/steward/stew99w3.htm. The Legislature voted to keep PGH open with funding allocated through 2000.
On November 25, 2000, the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
cited an administration leak that PGH would be closed by 2006. State Senator Frank Ruff speculated that the information was leaked on purpose in order to gauge the public's reaction http://www.blackstoneva.com/courier/121400.shtml. Local officials and the Piedmont Geriatric Association organized to oppose the closure, and the Legislature funded PGH for 2000.
In 2002, Governor Mark R. Warner proposed budget amendments to shut down PGH and Delegate Robert McDonnell introduced House Bill 995 to close Piedmont by 2007 http://www.blackstoneva.com/courier/012402a.shtml. Nottoway Supervisor Jack Green called it the facility's most serious closure threat to date. He noted the state's desire to save money and the attractiveness of the hospital's 300 acre (1.2 km²) estate for other building projects. The bill passed after it was amended to eliminate the provision to "close Piedmont Geriatric Hospital, opened in 1967 and located in Burkeville, no earlier than July 1, 2007"http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=021&typ=bil&val=hb995.
In 2004, the state Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse proposed building a facility to house 150 of Virginia's most dangerous sex offenders on PGH grounds. The facility would be self-contained and not occupy the same buildings as PGH. Reasons for selecting the Burkeville site included its proximity to Nottoway Correctional Center
Nottoway Correctional Center
Nottoway Correctional Center is an all-male state prison in Burkeville, Nottoway County, Virginia, USA. A low-security work center is on the same site....
, which could provide backup security help, and the nearby temporary sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s unit in Dinwiddie, whose workers could easily transition to the new facility.http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/print.cfm?story=64674&ran=48466
The offenders in question fall under the control of the DMHMRS, rather than the prison system, because they have completed their prison sentences but still meet the criteria for civil commitment as sexually violent predators http://www.oig.state.va.us/Annual_Reports/oigfinal.pdf.