On World Mental Health Day it’s an opportunity to reflect on the pride that Uniting AgeWell feels at being at the forefront of cutting-edge research which improves the lives of older Australians.
The Talking Mental Health project is a collaboration between Uniting AgeWell and researchers from Flinders University and the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), with funding from Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA).
Talking Mental Health focuses on co-designed tools and training to increase the skills and confidence of home care workers to identify and respond to the mental health and wellbeing of older people living in the community.
Uniting AgeWell won the Future of Ageing Research Award for the Talking Mental Health Project announced in Sydney in August - but the real prize is in being able to make a difference to people.
Uniting AgeWell Director Strategy & Innovation Nina Bowes, says "It is heartening to know this project has already helped countless people. It is a privilege to be able to make a difference."
The project team worked with staff, clients and a Project Advisory Group (PAG). The PAG included older people and their families, as well as experts from Beyond Blue and Mental Health First Aid Australia.
Ths will build confidence in front line staff around mental health as part of delivering aged care. By reviewing processes and procedures on how best to navigate developments where customers are experiencing mental health challenges, the customer will experience a faster and more effective response.
Enhancing responsiveness to the mental health needs of older people receiving aged care is a priority for Uniting AgeWell. This project bridges the gap between the high-level strategies underpinning the organisation’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Framework, and the needs of community care staff.
The research trialed this year included 148 staff through Uniting AgeWell’s Kingsville Home Care team and customers based in Melbourne. It is believed acting early to reduce mental illness and enhance wellbeing is key.
The project research partners facilitated the co-design of guidelines and processes for home care staff to identify, flag, escalate, refer, support and monitor concerns.
An important aspect of this new approach is to ensure the wellbeing and resilience of staff is also supported given they may be impacted as a result of the supports they deliver.
There are already positive results from the project. Overall, staff felt more aware and confident in discussing mental health with clients and reported improved knowledge in how to respond. Encouragingly, 88% of staff reported increased skills related to client’s mental health.
