Talking Mental Health: Implementing practice to improve the mental health of older adults receiving home care services

Background and Aims

The Talking Mental Health Project is a collaboration between leading community aged care service provider Uniting AgeWell and researchers from Flinders University and the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI). This project focused on developing better organisational systems and increasing skills and confidence among home care workers, to enable better identification and response to mental health needs of older adults receiving care in the community. The objectives of the project were to co-design potential solutions with all people involved in receiving and providing home care and then implement effective strategies to improve the identification of mental health needs among aged care users and promote access to mental health services where needed.

What We Did

We worked with Uniting AgeWell staff and clients, older adults, and experts in the field to co-design an approach for home care workers and care managers that both improved mental health literacy, and embedded processes to identify and follow up any un met needs relating to a customer’s mental health. We identified appropriate referral pathways, adapted online communication systems in the organisation and developed a suite of training resources for staff. The tools developed for the project were then piloted in one region serviced by Uniting AgeWell over a 10-week period.

Outcomes

The new systems were implemented and adapted based on feedback from staff. Staff reported an improvement in their knowledge about mental health issues and actively used the new reporting tools via work smartphones. Focus group data collected from Uniting AgeWell staff identified areas of strength, and also areas for further refinement of processes prior to a wider roll-out.

Impact on Aged Care and Workforce

Meeting mental health needs of customers is currently a gap in service provision across many parts of the aged care system. Talking Mental Health provides a template for developing coordinated and appropriate organisation- and system-wide responses to mental health and well-being needs of older adults in the community.

Resources Developed

Information on the project can be found here https://www.unitingagewell.org/about-us/research-and-innovation

Next Steps

Uniting AgeWell plans to rollout the protocols and training across their Community Home Care services. The research team will report on the project approach and findings, providing resources that can be used by other aged care organisations to improve the support provided to community clients.