Everybody Business was launched on 14 November 2005 to improve health and social care practice at the front line. Older people’s mental health cuts across health and social care, physical and mental health and mainstream and specialist services. The new service development guide is committed to: improving people’s quality of life; meeting complex needs in a co-ordinated way; providing a person-centred approach; and promoting age equality.
Everybody Business was launched on 14 November 2005 to improve health and social care practice at the front line. Older people’s mental health cuts across health and social care, physical and mental health and mainstream and specialist services. The new service development guide is committed to: improving people’s quality of life; meeting complex needs in a co-ordinated way; providing a person-centred approach; and promoting age equality.
Extended abstract:
Author:CARE SERVICES IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP Title: Everybody's business: integrated mental health services for older adults: a service development guide Publisher: Care Services Improvement Partnership, 2005
Summary
This service development guide sets out the key components of a modern older people's mental health (OPMH) service.
Context
Everybody's Business was launched on 14 November 2005 to improve health and social care practice at the front line. Older people's mental health cuts across health and social care, physical and mental health and mainstream and specialist services. The new service development guide is committed to: improving people's quality of life; meeting complex needs in a co-ordinated way; providing a person-centred approach; and promoting age equality.
Contents
A foreword begins by quoting the World Health Organization's assertion that a society can be defined by the way it treats its older citizens and lists the characteristics of an OPMH service which is fit for its purpose. An introduction emphasises the importance of carers, explains how the subject impinges on the whole health care system, outlines the development of OPMH services, and describes the guide. There follows six sections. ‘Foundations for developing a comprehensive older adult mental health service' is subdivided into discussions of involving service users and their carers, health promotion, assessment and care planning, developing culturally appropriate services, workforce development, a whole systems approach to commissioning integrated services, and leadership: champions, managers and leaders. ‘Primary and community care' covers primary care, home care, day services, housing, assistive technology and telecare, and care in residential settings. Two unsubdivided sections are on intermediate care and care for people in the general hospital. ‘Other specialist mental health services' is about integrated community mental health teams, memory assessment services, psychological therapies and in-patient care. Finally, ‘Special groups' is subdivided into discussions of younger people with dementia, older people with learning disabilities, and mental health care for older prisoners. Annexes discuss the policy context and describe some key policy drivers, and describe service assessment.
77 references
Subject terms:
joint working, mental health services, older people, person-centred care, quality of life, service development, social care provision;
Discusses how learned papers and treaties as well as policy statements exist with the objective of enhancing the lives of old people with mental health problems. What seems to defeat practitioners and policy makers is how to realise these laudable objectives consistently, rather than ignorance of the issues involved. The obstacles are more ones of political and professional will and of relative priority. Asks what strategies might be adopted to ensure that the needs of elderly people with mental health problems are placed more firmly towards the top of the health and social policy agenda.
Discusses how learned papers and treaties as well as policy statements exist with the objective of enhancing the lives of old people with mental health problems. What seems to defeat practitioners and policy makers is how to realise these laudable objectives consistently, rather than ignorance of the issues involved. The obstacles are more ones of political and professional will and of relative priority. Asks what strategies might be adopted to ensure that the needs of elderly people with mental health problems are placed more firmly towards the top of the health and social policy agenda.
Subject terms:
mental health problems, mental health services, older people, policy, priorities, quality of life, social policy;
Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 48(3/4), 2007, pp.349-365.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
Rural dwelling elders who experience mental health problems often have difficulty finding help since rural communities often lack adequate mental health service providers. This paper reports on the initial phase of a 5-year, interdisciplinary clinical research study that is testing the effectiveness of providing a home delivered, therapeutic psychosocial intervention, aimed at improving the emotional well-being and the quality of life of medically frail elders who live in rural communities in the United States. In the early phases of this study, the clinical research team encountered a number of challenges as it attempted to recruit study participants and provide services to them. This article examines these challenges and shares what has been learned so far about providing mental health services to elderly persons living in rural environments. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Rural dwelling elders who experience mental health problems often have difficulty finding help since rural communities often lack adequate mental health service providers. This paper reports on the initial phase of a 5-year, interdisciplinary clinical research study that is testing the effectiveness of providing a home delivered, therapeutic psychosocial intervention, aimed at improving the emotional well-being and the quality of life of medically frail elders who live in rural communities in the United States. In the early phases of this study, the clinical research team encountered a number of challenges as it attempted to recruit study participants and provide services to them. This article examines these challenges and shares what has been learned so far about providing mental health services to elderly persons living in rural environments. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Subject terms:
mental health services, multicultural approach, older people, psychosocial intervention, quality of life, research methods, rural areas, behaviour therapy;
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17(4), April 2002, pp.315-325.
Publisher:
Wiley
This article evaluates a model of intensive case management for people with dementia based in a community-based mental health service for older people. Individuals in one community team setting received case management and were compared with those in a similar team without such a service. The impact of the scheme upon placement occurred in the second year at the end of which 51% of the experimental group remained at home compared with 33% of the comparison group. For the experimental group significant improvements in the social contacts of older people were noted; a decrease in the stress of their carers was observed, together with a reduction in their input to the care of the client; and there were significant improvements on ratings of overall need reduction, aspects of daily living and level of risk. Differences between the two groups based on service receipt showed higher costs for the experimental group. Discusses the issues which influence the cost-effectiveness of intensive case management. The benefits of locating this service within a specialist mental health team are explored in the context of promoting greater service integration between health and social services.
This article evaluates a model of intensive case management for people with dementia based in a community-based mental health service for older people. Individuals in one community team setting received case management and were compared with those in a similar team without such a service. The impact of the scheme upon placement occurred in the second year at the end of which 51% of the experimental group remained at home compared with 33% of the comparison group. For the experimental group significant improvements in the social contacts of older people were noted; a decrease in the stress of their carers was observed, together with a reduction in their input to the care of the client; and there were significant improvements on ratings of overall need reduction, aspects of daily living and level of risk. Differences between the two groups based on service receipt showed higher costs for the experimental group. Discusses the issues which influence the cost-effectiveness of intensive case management. The benefits of locating this service within a specialist mental health team are explored in the context of promoting greater service integration between health and social services.
Subject terms:
mental health services, older people, outcomes, quality of life, carers, care management, cost effectiveness, dementia, evaluation;
Positive Publications/ Anglia Polytechnic University, Faculty of Health and Social Work
Describes the Lewisham Case Management Scheme which was one of a number of care management schemes studied by the Personal Social Services Research Unit. Summarises the Unit's findings which show that providing specialist domiciliary services for people with dementia can benefit service users and carers.
Describes the Lewisham Case Management Scheme which was one of a number of care management schemes studied by the Personal Social Services Research Unit. Summarises the Unit's findings which show that providing specialist domiciliary services for people with dementia can benefit service users and carers.
Subject terms:
home care, mental health services, older people, quality of life, carers, case management, dementia, evaluation;
Stigma and lack of access to providers create barriers to mental health treatment for older adults living in the community. To address these barriers, a peer support intervention for older adults receiving Medicaid services was developed and evaluated. The intervention, Reclaiming Joy, pairs an older adult volunteer with a participant experiencing mental health symptoms (older adult who receives peer support). Volunteers receive training on the strengths-based approach, mental health and aging, goal setting and attainment, community resources, and safety. Participant–volunteer pairs meet once a week for 10 weeks. Participants establish and work toward goals (e.g., better self-care, social engagement) that they feel would improve their mental health and well-being. Aging services agencies provide a part time person to manage the program, match volunteers and participants, and provide ongoing support. Outcomes evaluation for this pilot study included pre/postintervention assessments of participants. Thirty-two participants completed the intervention. Pre/postassessment group means showed statistically significant improvement for depression but not for symptoms of anxiety. Quality-of-life indicators for health and functioning also improved for participants with symptoms of both depression and anxiety. Implications: The Reclaiming Joy peer support intervention has potential for reducing depression and increasing quality of life in low-income older adults who have physical health conditions. It is feasible to administer and sustain the intervention through collaborative efforts with minimal program resources and a small amount of technical assistance.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Stigma and lack of access to providers create barriers to mental health treatment for older adults living in the community. To address these barriers, a peer support intervention for older adults receiving Medicaid services was developed and evaluated. The intervention, Reclaiming Joy, pairs an older adult volunteer with a participant experiencing mental health symptoms (older adult who receives peer support). Volunteers receive training on the strengths-based approach, mental health and aging, goal setting and attainment, community resources, and safety. Participant–volunteer pairs meet once a week for 10 weeks. Participants establish and work toward goals (e.g., better self-care, social engagement) that they feel would improve their mental health and well-being. Aging services agencies provide a part time person to manage the program, match volunteers and participants, and provide ongoing support. Outcomes evaluation for this pilot study included pre/postintervention assessments of participants. Thirty-two participants completed the intervention. Pre/postassessment group means showed statistically significant improvement for depression but not for symptoms of anxiety. Quality-of-life indicators for health and functioning also improved for participants with symptoms of both depression and anxiety. Implications: The Reclaiming Joy peer support intervention has potential for reducing depression and increasing quality of life in low-income older adults who have physical health conditions. It is feasible to administer and sustain the intervention through collaborative efforts with minimal program resources and a small amount of technical assistance.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
older people, peer groups, volunteers, intervention, social skills, depression, quality of life, mental health services, evaluation, outcomes, mental health problems, peer support;