practical living
There are some negative stereotypes,
from what I’ve heard, about therapy in
older generations. To bust those myths,
when you start working with people, you
find out what their thoughts are around
therapy, what the expectations are and
seeing where they’re coming from.
Free online therapy
Swinburne launches
wellbeing clinic for aged
care residents and staff.
Aida Brydon interviewed by Conor Burke
Swinburne University’s Wellbeing
Clinic for Older Adults has launched
a free national telehealth counselling
and support service aimed at supporting
older Aussies living in residential aged care.
The service is available nationwide to
aged care residents, their families and
aged care workers.
Approximately half of all aged care
residents exhibit symptoms consistent
with depression, and typically those who
reside in aged care facilities have low
mental health literacy, so identifying issues
can be problematic.
This may well be magnified as aged care
lockdowns have occurred nationwide and
the elderly have less social contact with
the outside world.
“Many aged care facilities across
the country have imposed very tight
restrictions on face-to-face visits as a
safety measure to reduce the risk of
coronavirus infections, and we anticipate
that this will result in increased feelings of
anxiety, loneliness and isolation among
residents, their family members and aged
care workers,” says the clinic’s co-director,
Professor Sunil Bhar.
Aged Care Insite spoke with Aida Brydon,
a Swinburne student and one of the clinic’s
provisional psychologists.
ACI: How are you finding doing the
therapy over the internet?
AB: I’ve found it really good so far. I’ve
seen a few people through a video phone,
over the telephone. Some of the other
clinicians have been using the telephone
more frequently, but I’ve been using video,
because that’s what my clients prefer.
They like to see a face, and I think it also
makes it a lot easier for people with hearing
difficulties to see my mouth moving.
I’ve found it a valuable learning
experience. A lot of the time when I’m
in the telehealth sessions, I can get
to the point where I feel like I’m with
the person, like there’s not a barrier
between us.
What about this particular cohort?
I think it’s safe to say that people who
are in residential aged care or around
the age are not predisposed to going
to counselling or therapy. How are they
finding therapy?
It’s different for different people; the cohort
is heterogeneous in a way. A lot of people
have different presentations, different
histories. Some people have experienced
counselling their whole life, and then when
they get to a residential care facility, it’s
something that they’re more continuing
rather than trying for the first time.
Other people have been referred by
somebody within the facility. In that case,
all the people that I work with consent
to therapy and want it. I wouldn’t be
working with somebody who didn’t want
to receive therapy.
Are there any themes that are
popping up for this cohort and
particularly around living in
residential care?
Firstly, just like younger people, older adults
can have a range of different mental health
problems. In particular, things like losses
associated with transitioning to residential
aged care or that kind of adjustment to
living in aged care, having uncertainty
about the future. Coming to terms with a
decline in personal autonomy and health
pops up and is more likely to exacerbate
or make them more likely to experience
depression or anxiety.
Then there are a lot of other things like
loneliness or a lack of social support. With
coronavirus and the lockdown, they are
being exacerbated too. There’s also the
sense of feeling like a burden to society.
Those kinds of things are being expressed
more and more often with all of this stuff
going on.
How are they with the current
situation? Are they feeling that acute
loss of autonomy? Are they scared of
COVID-19?
Some people are aware of it and frightened
by it. Other people are frustrated. I’ve
experienced quite a variety of responses to
the lockdown.
How will this run in the future and how
can aged care homes sign up?
The wellbeing clinic has already been
running in-person free counselling. We’re
hoping to keep both options open as well
so we can ideally reach more people.
Also, in times where there are lockdowns
because of flu or gastro, or maybe even
rural areas that lack access to this kind
of stuff, we’ll be able to provide support
to them.
Residential facilities can make referrals
for their residents. We’ve got a website.
It’s also available for carers. So if
they were a staff member and they felt
overwhelmed by caring for their resident,
or if they felt like they could help with
some extra support, we can also offer free
counselling to them too. ■
22 agedcareinsite.com.au