Resources

Dr Deborah Brooks and colleagues invite interested aged care residents, family/care partners, and aged care staff to participate in a co-design project to develop MHICare Tool – a tool for monitoring and promoting the mental health of people with dementia living in residential aged care.

In Australia, approximately 10 per cent of older adults have anxiety. Anxiety disorders are especially prevalent among people living in residential aged care. This resource from ARIIA is a short easy-to-read summary of the research evidence.

Researchers at National Ageing Research Institute compare the pre- and post-pandemic ‘rollercoaster’ media coverage of loneliness experienced by older people living in residential aged care and the social support available to them. They find an increased media focus on these issues during the pandemic that needs to translate into ongoing initiatives for improving the mental health and wellbeing of aged care residents.

Despite recent Australian Government-commissioned strategies for fostering inclusion and equity of care, Dr Trish Cain and colleagues from Edith Cowan University explain why many Australian LGBTI older people continue to have negative expectations of aged care service quality.

In this blog, social anthropologist, Dr Angela Zhang, reflects on the question ‘can aged care residents experience a sense of wellbeing in the presence of disease and functional decline?'

Professor Sunil Bhar presents a webinar on the use of reminiscence therapy to enhance the wellbeing of older adults. Produced as part of the Ageing Webinar Series from Swinburne University of Technology. (1 h 22 m)

This free suicide prevention training program from Anglicare is for anyone who works with older people. It includes an online learning program and interactive workshop (3 hours duration). 

"This paper by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission presents key findings of a rapid review into contemporary evidence regarding interventions intended to improve the use of medications for older adults in the residential aged care setting."

This video by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission provides important information about sedative medications. It promotes quality and appropriate use of sedatives in residential aged care services in Australia, in particular antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. It also explains some of the impacts and side effects that should be considered when using these medications, and highlights the importance of informed consent. (6 min)

This 5th edition of the Silver Book by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners contains guidance on the use of psychoactive pharmaceuticals in the care of older patients.