What did we achieve ?
Finalist , LASA Excellence in Age Services Awards 2021
4 x 6 week IT group programs
86 % of the Commonwealth Home Support Program targets achieved
125 weeks of Wellbeing Packs , over
18,000 packs , celebrated in July 2022
successful renewal of accreditation against the National Food Safety Standards
IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Stepped Care for Older Adults ( SCOA ) provides mental health support to older adults with mild to moderate mental illness or at risk of developing a mental illness due to social isolation , loneliness , or life stressors .
We worked with aged care assessment services and GPs to support referrals and continued to deliver services in client homes , at Merri Health sites and community facilities to support vulnerable clients .
We also partnered with stakeholders in the mental health sector to co-ordinate SCOA reference group meetings .
What did we achieve ?
143 clients supported
122 new referrals received
7 group programs delivered
piloted a suite of psychosocial and clinical groups
funding extended to June 2023 through the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network
Where can we improve ?
• high demand for mental health services and staff in the wider sector saw a challenge for recruitment and service capacity . We are reviewing waitlist management processes to combat this challenge .
What ’ s next
• responding to the increasing number of complex referrals and embedding a flexible structure that responds to changing community needs
• further developing group programs over the next 12 months
Where can we improve ?
• group programs were suspended for 8 weeks as COVID lockdowns impacted our ability to deliver services . We continued to support our participants via 1:1 Individual In Home Support , Telehealth and Wellbeing Packs
What ’ s next
• marketing campaign to raise community awareness of the suite of programs available
• increase collaboration with other Healthy Ageing teams to further our reach and increase service delivery
• develop new , innovative group programs easily accessible by the community
• a continued team focus on increasing client intake
MERRI HEALTH / ANNUAL REPORT 2022
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