New model of care to include mental health

Australian aged care, healthcare and social service providers have been urged to consider new models of care to deliver better outcomes for older people living in the community, at a forum at NSW Parliament House on Tuesday, 23 August 2011.

The forum’s primary discussion was around the recommendation to include mental health on the aged care agenda.

Arranged by the South East Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) aged care psychiatry team, the forum heard discussions from keynote speakers who agreed the integration of aged care and mental health reform would strengthen services and partnerships, and help to bridge gaps between providers of aged care, healthcare (including mental health) and social services for older people.

NSW Minister for Mental Health, Kevin Humphries, declared his support to strengthen services and partnerships in the sector.

“[Those people] working in community-based care or in residential aged care: thank you for what you’re doing. This forum is about your views on where aged care should go, particularly from a policy dimension,” Mr Humphries said.

Keynote speaker, Professor Ian Hickie, who produced the comprehensive Blueprint to Transform Mental Health and Social Participation in Australia for the federal government in March, urged aged care, healthcare and social service providers to consider new models of care; delivering better outcomes for older people living in the community.

He recommended the reforms should “focus on small changes that are transformational”, suggesting political debates needed to move beyond focusing on the number of acute care beds to examining new service models that could actually “take pressure off” hospitals.

“Any argument to stick more money into existing systems or failed systems … like existing institutional or acute care services is a dumb idea. We have to resist that temptation,” Professor Hickie said.

“We need to work out new service models – which will often be based on the social services models, and not the health models – and actually contracting out to groups like Mission Australia and other big service providers, or private health providers, who will not only do clinical care, but they’ll link with housing,” he added.

Some of Professor Hickie’s recommendations included collaborative geriatric medical teams and activities that enhance social inclusion for elderly people. He also advised NSW aged care providers to decide which models they would favour over the next six to eight months, before the 2012 Federal Budget.

“We don’t know what is going to happen in primary care [through the national health reform process], but there will be a new national commission, which will be very interested in what the models of care will be and, when it comes into being in January … the aged care sector needs to engage with that very urgently,” Professor Hickie said.

Mental illness was also a major topic at the forum with Professor Brian Draper from Prince of Wales Hospital Aged Care Psychiatry Services, suggesting the needs of older people are paramount when delivering mental health services to this group of people.

Professor Draper revealed latest survey data which showed existing services do not meet the needs of middle-aged and older people with mental illnesses.

The data indicated the majority of people aged over 50 years of age, living with a mental illness in Sydney had; on average, only one third of their social needs and two thirds of their accommodation and food needs met.

“For mental health services to actually meet those needs, they need to collaborate with people who can do that,” Professor Draper said.

He said collaboration with a range of non-government organisations and other government agencies would likely enable the development of better models to assist in improving the wellbeing of those aged over 50 years living with a mental illness.

Describe the ideal model of aged care that you would suggest to the government? Share your opinions in the comment box below.