Geriatric Psychiatrist Lutz

Lutz: a mature suburb that over-indexes on multigenerational families

Lutz sits right on the Hillsborough-Pasco line and has aged in place differently from the newer family suburbs north and east of it. The established Cheval, Lake Park, Lake Magdalene, and Crystal Lake neighborhoods, along with the older homes off Sunset and Livingston, have produced a community that over-indexes on 55-and-older population relative to most of north Hillsborough. Many Lutz households are also multigenerational: an adult child caring for an aging parent under the same roof, or living within a 10-minute drive.

That household pattern shows up in the way our Lutz geriatric psychiatry visits actually run. More often than anywhere else in our practice, an adult child sits in the room (in person at Wesley Chapel or on the video call) with the parent. Spousal involvement is common too. We treat that as a feature of geriatric care, not a complication: the family member who manages the medications and the appointments is part of the care team.

What real geriatric psychiatric care actually looks like at Ascend

Sixty-minute first visits. The medication list is the starting point: prescriptions, supplements, over-the-counter pills, and patches all reviewed in detail. We look for interactions, drugs on the Beers list that should be tapered safely in coordination with primary care, and medications that can themselves cause or worsen late-life depression. The medication review is not a footnote in a 20-minute visit; it is often where the most clinically useful work happens.

After the medication review, the visit covers sleep, appetite, mood, recent losses, energy, falls, and what changed in the last six to twelve months. We screen for cognitive change when indicated. We coordinate with the primary care physician on any prescription changes. Margot Krahn, PMHNP-BC is lifespan-trained, which means she has the explicit geriatric curriculum that a strictly adult-focused PMHNP does not have. She avoids benzodiazepines in the elderly when possible per Beers criteria.

Getting to Wesley Chapel from Lutz (and when telehealth is the better call)

The drive from most Lutz neighborhoods to 27724 Cashford Circle, Suite 102 is 12-18 minutes depending on which side of US-41 you are on. From Cheval and the Suncoast Parkway corridor, it is a clean shot east on SR-54. From the SR-56 belt closer to Land O Lakes, even shorter. Parking is on-site, level entry, and a short walk to the suite. For patients with mobility issues, the ground-floor accessibility makes the in-person visit very workable.

Many Lutz-area patients pick a mix: the first 60-minute intake in person so the patient and family member can meet Margot face-to-face, then a blend of follow-ups (some by telehealth from home, some in person when convenient). Family members are welcome at every visit with the patient's consent. We work with Medicare-eligible patients on a self-pay basis and provide a superbill that many patients submit to Medicare for partial reimbursement. We do not currently bill Medicare directly for psychiatric services.