news
Site for your mind
beyondblue offers free online modules to help
workers and residents manage their mental health.
By Patrick Avenell
M
ental health support system and
advocacy group beyondblue
has launched a series of online
training modules for people who work with
older Australians. The goal of these seven
30-minute modules is to help aged-care
workers recognise and manage depression,
anxiety and other mental illnesses in older
people, and also to ensure their own
wellbeing while in the workplace.
The courses are free and beyondblue
recommends that aged-care workers
complete five or six of the modules to
reach a high level of competence and
confidence in dealing with depression in
older Australians. Research beyondblue
cited showed that 1 in 10 older Australians
will experience mental illnesses, with
the most vulnerable being those living
in residential facilities, where that rate
increases to 1 in 3.
“By being able to recognise when people
are struggling or at risk of suicide, and
knowing what steps to take to support
them, aged-care workers can have a huge
positive impact on the mental health of
those they care for,” beyondblue chief
executive Georgie Harman said. “This is
important, as research shows some older
people are particularly at risk of suicide.
The most recent Australian Bureau of
Statistics suicide data reveals men aged
8
agedcareinsite.com.au
85 and older are the most likely male age
group to take their own lives.”
John O’Brien has worked as an
aged-care RN for the past 15 years,
focusing on palliative and end-stage care,
at facilities in Queensland, New South
Wales and Victoria. Before that, he worked
for almost 10 years in psychiatric nursing.
He said these experiences affected his own
mental health.
“Recently, I was diagnosed with
depression and post-traumatic stress
disorder, which was believed to be
related to the experiences working in
those institutions back in the 1970s and
’80s,” he said. “I’ve seen carers struggle
on a daily basis to get a huge workload
done in a limited time with limited
resources. I believe there are huge
expectations on care staff.
“Discussing mental health with a
manager who may or may not hold
sensitivity to that is a big risk when your
income may depend on it.”
O’Brien said during difficult periods in
his career, he would try to suppress his
mental health issues by withdrawing from
those around him and using alcohol. “Very
rarely would I talk to anyone about my
feelings,” he said.
O’Brien hopes that other agedcare workers, by using the resources
beyondblue is furnishing, won’t end up
“wallowing in darkness”, that they will look
after their own mental health and seek
help if they feel they may have a problem.
Harman concurs.
“If aged-care workers have good mental
health, they will be able to perform better
at work and derive lifestyle benefits outside
of their work environment,” she said. “To
meet the needs of our ageing population,
Australia’s aged-care workforce is expected
to double and exceed 800,000 over the
next 40 years. Simple, inexpensive, short
courses like this will add to the skills of this
workforce, and improve the wellbeing of
older Australians, without putting pressure
on employers.”
The seven modules in the program are:
1. Understanding anxiety and depression
2. Anxiety and depression in older people
3. Promoting the mental health of
community aged-care clients
4. Promoting the mental health of
aged-care residents
5. Identifying and responding to suicide in
aged-care settings
6. Managing anxiety and depression in
aged-care clients and residents
7. Looking after your mental health at work. n
Access the modules at:
peac.beyondblue-elearning.org.au