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The Aged Care Psychiatry Service (ACPS) is part of the
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Mental Health service. ACPS is made up of a multidisciplinary team which has
developed rapidly since 1995. It is committed to providing high quality care to people who develop
mental illness after the age of 65 and to individuals with a pre-existing mental illness requiring
specialist psychogeriatric services.
 Who are we?
Aged Care Psychiatry Services (ACPS), part of Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Mental Health service.
Our team profile:
- Consultant aged care psychiatrist
- Senior psychiatric registrar
- Clinical nurse specialists
- Registered psychogeriatric nurses
- Clinical psychologist
- Social workers
What do we do?
Our aims are:
- To provide multi-disciplinary assessment, treatment & case management to people
over 65 who have a mental illness and /or dementing illness
- To provide a continuum of care including prevention, acute care (including inpatient care,
crisis management), rehabilitation, and ongoing case management
- To provide a consultative, advocacy and educational role working in close collaboration with
all sectors of the community
- To support nursing homes, hostels, and retirement villages in the management of elderly people
with psychiatric disorders
- To educate and train mental health staff, GPs and residential care staff
- To recognise the role of the Rehabilitation Aged Care Service (RACS)
as an important service provider for people with dementia
- To liaise with RACS regarding patients with dementia who have significant behavioural
disturbance or a mental illness
How you can access our service
Self referrals and referrals by family members, friends, neighbours and community groups
are also welcome. We can provide you with information on how to access care from private psychiatrists and counsellors.
Reasons For Referral: People over 65 years of age with any of the following:
- Depressive disorders
- Other serious mental illness (e.g., manic depression, schizophrenia, delusional disorders)
- Severe anxiety disorders
- Complicated bereavement
- Severe dementia-related behaviour problems (not uncomplicated dementia)
How is follow-up arranged? The referred person’s details are taken by the duty intake
officer. This information is discussed at our weekly clinical meeting and the person and/or carer is
contacted within 5 working days in order to make the necessary arrangements for an initial clinical
assessment by ACPS.
Where you can find us
We’re located in the Palmerston Centre, Derby Road, on Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital
campus. As a community service, consultations can take place at our centre or in the
person’s home.
Inpatient care is provided on the acute adult psychiatry ward, the Lindsay Madew Unit (LMU) at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital.
A separate Psychogeriatric Unit or Annex is not available at present, so the following measures have been taken to provide psychogeriatric-specific inpatient services on LMU.
These include having a designated half-time psychogeriatric registrar to care for the elderly inpatients,
provision of a group therapy programme for older patients, and the provision of occupational
therapy services specifically oriented to the elderly, including a falls protection and hip
fracture protection programme.
On average there are six psychogeriatric inpatients on LMU at any one time, with overflow being
directed to other hospitals.
How you can contact us
During office hours we can be contacted on 9477 9520.
To contact the ACPS Intake Officer: Phone 9477 520 or Fax 9477 9559.
The after-hours emergency/crisis service and week-end service can also be reached on 9477 9520.
What are our hours?
Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 5.00pm. An after-hours emergency/crisis service is available through the Adult Mental Health Service, and the Lindsay Madew Unit is staffed 24 hours a day.
More information
We have fact sheets on a number of mental health topics: 'Someone in my family has psychosis':
Information for young people (primary school age), 'Someone in my family has psychosis: information for young people (high school age),
'What is psychosis?', The Mental Health Act,
'How can family and friends help with someone who is experiencing a psychotic episode and using street drugs?'.
More fact sheets and booklets will be added in the coming months.
We have more information on adult mental health and our individual services:
Acute Care Team,
Early Psychosis Intervention Service (EPIS),
Hornsby Residential Support Services,
Wahroonga Rehabilitation Service.
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