Who in their right mind would have thought that an extra month off from school could ever be a burden? But now, after nearly a month away from friends and classmates, and with a loss of routine and social interaction, many youth are totally done with being free from the rigors of school and being […]

Managing one’s personal and professional life during a pandemic of the proportion that is evolving on the planet is and will be a challenge for all healthcare providers. Last week, we reviewed resources available to help us help our patients care better for themselves, physically and emotionally. Today, we look at supporting and taking care […]

SAN DIEGO RESOURCES: COVID-19 Behavioral Health Support for Children                                                             EXPLAINING THE CORONAVIRUS: BrainPOP – Free cartoon video (about 4 min long) for upper elementary and middle schoolers – https://www.brainpop.com/health/diseasesinjuriesandconditions/coronavirus/ Explaining the Coronavirus to Children with Anxiety or OCD – by a child therapist – https://youtu.be/C3BZnldL66E Article, Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus – https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/ Mental […]

These are difficult times for everyone and this special edition of SmartCare E-Weekly is being sent out early to provide guidance on recommended practice with regard to renewing and as needed adjusting psychotropic medications for patients in the face of the constraints of the health emergency. SmartCare’s on demand provider line (858) 880-6405 is and […]

Managing Psychotropic Medications During the Coronavirus Emergency These are difficult times for everyone and this special edition of SmartCare E-Weekly is being sent out early to provide guidance on recommended practice with regard to renewing and as needed adjusting psychotropic medications for patients in the face of the constraints of the health emergency. SmartCare’s on […]

Although not a bread and butter primary care concern, Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis is a recently recognized autoimmune process that can cause significant psychiatric, neurological and medical sequelae and it is an organic systemic disorder that may first present in the primary care setting. (NMDA = N-Methyl-D-Aspartate.) In the last decade, it has been more widely […]

There are non-pharmacological and pharmacological options to treat sleep disturbance in patients with dementia. Non-pharmacological approaches include: light therapy, regular exercise, and behavioral treatment/sleep hygiene. In general, evening bright light treatment is helpful for sleep maintenance problems and morning light exposure is helpful for patients whose sleep is phase-delayed or who are suffering from a […]

Sleep disturbance, including reduced sleep time, fragmented sleep, nighttime wandering, increased sleep latency, and daytime sleepiness and fatigue, are common concerns related to dementia. It is estimated that 1/3 of patients with Alzheimer’s dementia suffer from a sleep disturbance. The goal of this article is to review treatment options for sleep disturbance in patients with […]

When efforts to change sleep hygiene profiles prove unsuccessful and other contributing conditions have been examined and ruled out, use of a medication may be appropriate. Both prescribed and over-the-counter options are available and choice can be based on patient preference, clinical symptoms and need for short-term versus long-term treatment. Prescription Meds: In general the […]

Insomnia is a frequent complaint of patients in both the medical and psychiatric settings. Nearly 30% of adult will have issues with trouble falling or staying asleep at some point, however most of these issues are generally time limited and not impairing. For others, it is a very troubling issue. Insomnia Defined ―trouble with either […]