General | 65
At-risk older people to receive more support from carers
O
lder people in residential care or who require significant assistance to stay at home are twice as likely to develop depression and anxiety as the general population. This disturbing statistic, along with the limited mental health training offered to aged care workers, has seen beyondblue create a ground breaking new program to improve aged care students’ understanding of depression and anxiety in older people. Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) across Australia are being urged to use Making a difference: Understanding depression and anxiety in older people in their aged care courses to help students recognise if older clients are experiencing depression or anxiety. Research from the National Ageing Research Institute reveals almost 35 per cent of older people in residential care will experience depression, while around 30 per cent of older people living in the community, but requiring significant assistance to remain at home, will also experience it. These rates are at least double the general population risk. The rates of anxiety disorders in these groups are believed to be much higher than the community average of 26 per cent, but have not been confirmed. beyondblue CEO Kate Carnell AO said it is vital aged care staff are taught how to recognise depression and anxiety in older people because these conditions reduce an older persons’ quality of life. She said the new training program would enable RTOs to deliver content on depression and anxiety in older people as part of Certificate III in Aged Care and Home or Community Care, courses that most people wishing to work in the aged care sector complete. “It is terrible that the cumulative effect of numerous risk factors including illness and isolation means older Australians are particularly vulnerable to depression and anxiety,” she said. “But this new training program means students will receive an excellent grounding in the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety when they enter the aged care workforce. The community must do
everything it can to ensure the good mental health of older people and we believe this will help significantly.” Making a difference: Understanding depression and anxiety in older people builds upon beyondblue’s Professional Education to Aged Care (PEAC) Program, which is aimed at improving the aged care workforce’s understanding of depression and anxiety disorders in older people. beyondblue is asking RTOs to apply for the new program through the beyondblue website. It is the first time beyondblue has provided material for accredited training courses and has taken two years to develop. The program, which is free for eligible RTOs, will consist of student workbooks, facilitator guides, DVD clips and a podcast. For more information or to register go the older persons’ page on the beyondblue website www.beyond or email agedcare@ beyond blue.org.au ■