Geriatric Psychiatry Care
A Leader in Senior Mental Health Treatment and Issues
Dr.
Nitin Nanda is the Jewish Home's Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry and Behavioral
Health, as well as Medical Director of the Lisa and Ernest Auerbach Geriatric
Psychiatry Unit. Bringing nearly a decade of experience to these positions,
Dr. Nanda oversees psychiatric outpatient clinical services at the Home
as well as the ongoing education of the staff on mental health issues.
In addition to his roles at the Home, Dr. Nanda serves as the president and CEO of the Asana Integrated Medical Group in Sherman Oaks and Burbank, is assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and clinical assistant professor in medicine at the Keck-USC School of Medicine. He is a well-known speaker on topics of depression, memory disorders, and Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Nanda places a strong emphasis on public education in his mission to promote and maintain optimal mental health in the senior community. "It's incredibly important to promote mental health for seniors, " he says, "and for people to understand how to take better care of themselves so they can live healthy, happy lives."
"Because of its wonderful reputation in this area, the Jewish Home is uniquely positioned to take a leading role in increasing that awareness and understanding," Dr. Nanda adds.
Lisa and Ernest Auerbach Geriatric Psychiatry Unit
The
stress of physical ailments, isolation, and the loss of friends, family, and meaningful
work all contribute to the prevalence of depression in seniors. But depression is
not a normal part of aging. It is an illness that can be sensitively and successfully
treated.
The Lisa and Ernest Auerbach Geriatric Psychiatry Unit, a unit of the Brandman Research Institute at the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, is dedicated to treating depression and other acute behavioral diagnoses in seniors.
Our state-of-the-art, 10-bed, in-patient treatment facility was created to address the growing need for geriatric mental health services. The Auerbach Geriatric Psychiatry Unit incorporates the Home's nationally-acclaimed model of comprehensive, high-quality treatment by attending to the needs of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – in a calm, nurturing environment.
The
Unit serves seniors 55-and-over who are experiencing mental or emotional changes
that require intensive treatment. Patients must have a primary psychiatric diagnosis,
and are admitted on a voluntary basis only.
Applicants for care must also be able to participate in a treatment program, where the combination of intensive therapeutic activities and interaction with staff and peers promotes healing and well-being, and provides better long-term outcomes.
For additional information about the Auerbach Geriatric Psychiatry Unit, please contact Luke Jackson at 818-758-5045 or Luke.Jackson@jha.org.