Dr Deborah Brooks1, Dr Deepa Sriram1, Rachel Brimelow1, Dr Claire Burley2, and A/Prof Nadeeka Dissanayaka1
1. Dementia & Neuro Mental Health Research Unit, The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research; 2. Centre for Health Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales.
Mental health practices for people living with dementia in residential aged care (RAC) are often poor, with an increased risk of prescribing medication for those who experience psychological symptoms and changed behaviours such as agitation. Additionally, psychological, social, and person-centred care can be poorly implemented. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing concerns about the mental health of residents. However, there is currently no measure to monitor and promote mental health for people living with dementia in RAC.
We aim to co-design a Mental Health Tool for Residential Aged Care (MHICare Tool) that can be rolled out across RAC facilities in Australia to improve mental health practices and outcomes for residents with dementia.
Our study aims to improve current practice and mental health outcomes for people living with dementia in RAC by co-designing a performance measurement tool for use in care facilities. We will ask residents both with and without a diagnosis of dementia, family/care partners and RAC staff, about the key areas that need to be measured and addressed to improve mental health care practice and outcomes. We will also seek to gain the consensus of the aged care industry, consumer organisations, academics, and clinicians on the developed indicators of identified key areas to be included in the tool.
Would you like to take part in this study?
We are currently seeking interest from RAC facilities and individuals who wish to participate in any stage of the development of MHICare. Participation in MHICare gives aged care organisations and staff power to shape a future performance management framework that may assist in strategic management, quality of reporting and provide evidence of continuing improvement.
You can participate in a number of ways:
- Take part in or aid the facilitation of focus groups and/or interviews that will take place at aged care homes (either in person or online). Participants in focus groups and/or interviews will be i) residents, ii) family members/care partners and iii) aged care staff.
- Provide aged care staff and health professionals working within your organisation the opportunity to participate in an electronic survey to provide expert opinion on what should be included in the MHICare tool.
- Trial the MHICare Tool upon completion.
- Participate in software development for automatically generated quality reports and piloting of the digital tool (at a later stage of the project - further funding will be sought for this stage of development).
This initial study has been funded by a project grant from the Dementia Australia Research Foundation. Please contact us for more information (MHICare@uq.edu.au) or go to https://clinical-research.centre.uq.edu.au/MHICare.
*The views and opinions expressed in Knowledge Blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of ARIIA, Flinders University and/or the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.