Combining medicine and mental health: the consultant old age liaison psychiatrist

Abstract

Consultant old age liaison psychiatrist Raja Badrakalimuthu speaks to Kathy Oxtoby about why making a difference to a person with dementia or their family makes his day A love of people and their life stories inspired Raja Badrakalimuthu to specialise in old age psychiatry. “Working with older people, you get to have conversations about their lives,” says Badrakalimuthu, a consultant old age liaison psychiatrist at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. “Their generation built our society, and we’ve inherited the legacy of their hard work. I find it satisfying to be able to do something for them—to thank them, and show my gratitude.” Old age psychiatry is “the perfect blend of medicine and mental health,” he says. “Older people can have multiple physical conditions and you have to take this into account when diagnosing dementia.” With new dementia drugs becoming incorporated into clinical practice, and new cognitive assessments and scans becoming readily available, “it’s an exciting time to be doing old age psychiatry,” Badrakalimuthu says. Old age psychiatrists also have to be aware of what kind of support is available for older people in the community, such as respite care, he says. “You’re not just intervening at …