Good mental health for older adults
Our Stepped Care for Older Adults ( SCOA ) program is a tailored mental health initiative for people with mild to moderate mental illness , and / or who are at risk of social isolation and loneliness .
The program is for people aged 65 +, or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 50 +, in Melbourne ’ s Northern and Western Metropolitan areas .
Delivered by experienced mental health clinicians and a community connector , SCOA is free to access . Participants receive one-to-one support and can connect with psychosocial and clinical groups too .
This year we focussed on providing goal-directed mental health support and reducing loneliness in the community , addressing barriers to accessing SCOA for client and increasing awareness to support more referrals .
We also developed a group program to help foster social connections , which was co-designed with our consumers to ensure it met their interests and needs .
What did we achieve ?
117 new referrals
80 % of consumers reported reduced loneliness
8 group programs delivered for exercise , creative art , social walking , and anxiety management
reached people from 25 different countries of origin
16 % of consumers required an interpreter
engaged GP , aged care agencies , aged care mental health services and other key stakeholders to enhance support for our SCOA consumers
reduced barriers to accessing SCOA by using interpreters , seeing consumers in their homes to negate mobility and transport issues , and providing psychoeducation in group settings
provided regular program updates and case studies to our reference group for input into quality improvements and more appropriate referrals
successfully reached consumers in the western region by delivering SCOA to older adults at the Morton Homestead Play Space in Melton
Where can we improve ?
most of our referrals come from northern Melbourne . By strengthening relationships with primary health networks and community services in the west , we can better support older adults in that area
we have seen a reduction of older adults requiring mild mental health support this year , as mental health needs have escalated since the pandemic . Exploring how to work more effectively in the early intervention and prevention space will help us to better meet the needs of our community
What ’ s next ?
increasing access to SCOA for residents in the western metro area
continuing to address the prevalence of loneliness among older adults with our clinical work
continuing to provide evidencebased and time-limited interventions for older adults requiring moderate mental health support
Merri Health CEO Tassia Michaleas and Board Director Ann Taylor welcomed Minister for Mental
Health Gabrielle Williams MP and local MP Anthony Cianflone .
Merri Health Annual Report 2023 61