Resources

Sustainable aging in rural settings requires ongoing commitment and collaboration by different organisations to support initiatives to overcome persistent barriers experienced by older people accessing aged care beyond their communities. Associate Professor Maree Bancroft examines both the challenges and explores how community-driven approaches can help elderly Australians age at home in regional, rural and remote areas a possibility.

The Equip Aged Care Learning Packages from the University of Tasmania (Wicking Dementia Centre) are freely available to anyone interested in the aged care sector to help enhance knowledge and keep up to date with current practices.  One of the modules is focused on promoting mental health and wellbeing, and can be accessed by enrolling in the course.

This is the supplement to the full report that Australian Healthcare Associates (AHA) completed for the Department of Health and Aged Care. It  presents the findings of the stakeholder interviews and the surveys conducted among health professionals, providers and residents about psychological services in residential aged care facilities.

This full report from  Australian Healthcare Associates (AHA) discusses the need for psychological services in residential aged care facilities as part of the primary health network. It presents the findings of a comprehensive evaluation of service models being implemented, the effective models and the recommendations to improve service. 

This webpage from Aged Care Guide discusses about the importance of looking after the mental health needs of older adults and what services are available for older adults. The aged care workforce can refer older adults to these services if needed. 

This report from COTA Australia discusses the experiences of Australians aged 75 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their mental health was impacted by the pandemic.

Thoughts about death and self-harm are not uncommon in older adulthood, especially in the later years of life. Risk factors for suicide later in life include mental health disorders, physical illness and functional or cognitive decline. This resource from ARIIA is a short easy-to-read summary of the research evidence.

Anxiety and depression are common in residential aged care yet often remain undetected. Several screening tools are available for detecting signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression in older adults in residential aged care. This resource from ARIIA is a short easy-to-read summary of the research evidence.

Reminiscence approaches such as reminiscence, life review, and life review therapy, demonstrate a mixed but overall positive influence on the mental health and wellbeing of older adults. This resource from ARIIA is a short easy-to-read summary of the research evidence.

Physical activity is critical for the mental health of people over 65 years of age. This resource from ARIIA is a short easy-to-read summary of the research evidence.