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Individual standards for intermediate care for older people with mental health difficulties
- Author:
- HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE ADVISORY SERVICE
- Publisher:
- Health and Social Care Advisory Service
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 17p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper presents the standards and the early findings from the Department of Health funded national project on Intermediate Care for Older People with Mental Health difficulties. The project benchmarked the intermediate care service provision in seven sites across England during March and April 2006 against best practice standards developed by HASCAS. An overarching view is that is that there is often poor integration and understanding between mainstream older peoples intermediate care services and older peoples mental health services and that this results in sub optimal care.
The state of mental health in old-age across the ‘old’ European Union: a systematic review
- Authors:
- RIEDEL-HELLER S.G., BUSSE A., ANGERMEYER M.C.
- Journal article citation:
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 113(5), May 2006, pp.388-401.
- Publisher:
- Blackwell Publishing
This review of epidemiological studies conducted in 13 of the 15 countries of the pre-enlargement European Union finds that mental disorders in old age are common, with the most serious threats posed by dementia and depression. While it is clear that the prevalence of dementia increases with age, the pattern with regard to depression is unclear. Evidence on other mental health disorders, including those associated with substance use, mild cognitive impairment, psychotic syndromes, anxiety and somatoform disorders is much less abundant, making it difficult to come to conclusions. In addition, the lack of comparable data means that it is impossible so far to make judgements about differences in the prevalence rates of particular disorders across geographical and cultural boundaries.
The Act one year on - a mental health officer's perspective
- Author:
- LOCKERBIE Gordon
- Journal article citation:
- Rostrum Magazine, 86, October 2006, pp.12-13.
- Publisher:
- British Association of Social Workers (Scotland)
The author, a Mental Health Officer, discusses the impact of the new Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 on managing work for older people. Although it has increased workloads, he argues it is more professional rewarding, improves patients rights and will improve services for people with mental health problems.
Delirium subtype identification and the validation of the Delirium Rating Scale - Revised-98 (Dutch version) in hospitalized elderly patients
- Authors:
- DE ROOIJ Sophia E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(9), September 2006, pp.876-882.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Delirium is the most common acute neuropsychiatric disorder in hospitalized elderly. The Dutch version of the Delirium Rating Scale - Revised-98 (DRS-R-98) appears to be a reliable method to classify delirium. The aim of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the DRS-R-98 and to study clinical subtypes of delirium using the DRS-R-98. Patients received the Dutch version of the DRS-R-98, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Confusion Assessment Method, and a clinical diagnosis of delirium according to DSM-IV criteria, and their relatives the Informant Questionnaire Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. The DRS-R-98 validation cohort (n = 65) consisted of 23 patients with delirium, 22 patients with dementia, and 20 non-psychiatric comparison patients. For the delirium subtype study, a second cohort comprising 54 delirious patients was investigated. Median DRS-R-98 scores significantly distinguished delirium from dementia and no psychiatric disorder. Inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation 0.97) and internal consistency (Crohnbach's alpha 0.94) were high. Positive scores of DRS-R-98 item 4 (affect liability) and item 7 (motor agitation) predicted the presence of non-hypoactive delirium, with a specificity of 89% and a sensitivity of 57%. The results show that the Dutch version of the DRS-R-98 is a valid and reliable measure of delirium severity and distinguishes patients with delirium from patients with dementia and comparison patients.
Best practice in learning disability and dementia
- Author:
- CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON FAMILIES AND RELATIONSHIPS
- Publisher:
- Centre for Research on Families and Relationships
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 4p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
Dementia is a particular concern for service providers supporting older people with learning disabilities. Until recently little forward planning had been built into services to prepare for residents to grow older, and cope with medical conditions of older age such as arthritis, osteoporosis or dementia. For people with Down’s syndrome, there is a high prevalence rate of dementia as medical advances mean they, as with the rest of the population, are living longer lives. Little is known about the views and experiences of people with a learning disability who have dementia or are living with someone with dementia in a residential setting (Wilkinson et al 2003, 2004; Lyngaard 2004). A three year research project funded by the Community Fund in collaboration with CARE1 has explored best practice for people with a learning disability who develop dementia - looking at what enables people to remain in their own homes and communities. A key element of this wider project was a service user advisory forum. One of the things this research wanted this group to tell us was what people with learning disabilities know about dementia and what it was like to live with someone who has dementia.
Age differences in depression and morale among the oldest old
- Authors:
- MARTIN Peter, da ROSA Grace
- Journal article citation:
- Global Ageing, 4(1), April 2006, pp.42-51.
The world's population is aging and many countries are experiencing an increase in life expectancy. As a result, questions arise about their morale and emotional status during their advanced age. This American study sought to investigate whether there are age differences in depressive symptoms and morale among the oldest old. The study also explored the in which specific domains of depression and morale age differences might found. Participants in the study were 53 centenarians and 49 nonagenarians, 84 women and 10 men. Half of the residents were in a long-term care facility and half lived at home; 85 were widowed. The results found there were significant age differences when comparing centenarians to nonagenarians, but there did not appear to be mental health differences when comparing by residential status.
Promoting the psychosocial health of the elderly: the role of social workers
- Author:
- CHONG Alice M.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Health Care, 44(1/2), 2006, pp.91-109.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper considers the psychosocial health of older people, especially in Hong Kong and China, noting the statistical mis-match between high life satisfaction scores and significantly above average suicide rates. Reasons for this inconsistency are considered, and social workers are warned to be aware that, despite a general climate of high life satisfaction, there is likely to be a minority of older people who are very unhappy and require help. The weakening of traditional support networks is likely to exacerbate this problem, as well as increasing the demand for formal health and social care services. The implications of these trends for social workers are discussed in relation to their engagement with individual older people, including building up networks of social support; their role as advocates to empower older people at the community level; and their professional role at international level to share best practice. Finally, social workers are advised to address their own attitudes towards older people, and keep their knowledge of physical and mental health conditions up to date. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Effects of dependency on compliance rates among elder abuse victims at the New York city department for the aging, elderly crime victim's unit
- Authors:
- POWELL Mebane E., BERMAN Jacquelin
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 46(3/4), 2006, pp.229-247.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The literature on elder abuse recognizes the dependency of the abuser on the victim as a substantial risk factor for elder abuse. This study aimed to explore how the issue of dependency of the abuser on the victim as well as the victim on the abuser may impact the victim's acceptance rate of referrals (compliance). Dependency was defined by the total score for each case on the Victim Dependency Scale and Abuser Dependency Scale. Compliance was defined as the act of accepting a referral and compliance rates were determined by counting the total number of referrals the victim accepted. Findings indicated that the only factor associated with compliance rates was if the abuser had a mental illness/substance abuse problem. If the abuser did have this problem, the victim was significantly more likely to accept a referral for services as compared to victims whose abusers did not have a mental illness/substance abuse problem. The authors offer explanations as to why this research was important and the implications it has on future research. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Improving mental health services for older people
- Authors:
- HALL John, WALDOCK Helen, HARVEY Chris
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Review, 11(4), December 2006, pp.7-13.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
The authors look at government policy development and practice guidance in the area of mental health services for older people. They then discuss the reasons for the variable implementation of policy and practice guidance within services.
Invisible and ill: three case reports of homelessness in older adults
- Authors:
- BENBOW Susan M., COHEN Paul R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 8(3), November 2006, pp.12-15.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The authors describe three homeless older people who presented to an old age psychiatry service. Homeless older adults are likely to have untreated mental and physical health problems and to be invisible to services. It is argued that to detect and treat them, services need to be more flexible.