Older Persons Mental Health Service

The Older Persons Mental Health Service provides specialist treatment for people who have a mental illness and are over the age of 65 years.

Our services

We are committed to recovery-focused care through the following:

• specialist mental health treatment and interventions
• assistance with transition from the mental health inpatient unit back into the community
• consultation and liaison with GPs, aged-care facilities and other health professionals
• support and education for consumers, carers and aged-care facilities.

Conditions treated

Common conditions treated by the Older Adult Mental Health Team include:

• bipolar disorder/mania
• depression
• schizophrenia/other psychotic conditions
• severe psychiatric complications of dementia
• other severe or complex mental health presentations not customarily managed by GPs or aged care providers alone.

Therapies

Therapeutic interventions are provided on the basis of individual need and evidence-based guidelines depending on diagnosis.

Interventions fall into six main categories:

• healthy behaviours practiced by the individual, such as exercise, diet and routine
• psychological approaches, such as building skills in helpful thinking, problem solving and coping with strong emotions
• physical treatments, such as medication and (less commonly) electroconvulsive therapy
• changes in personal environment
• communication and care tips for friends, family and professional care staff
• helping people access services and help for unmet social needs, such as loneliness, transport and housing.

Your care team

Your treating team is made up of a range of mental health professionals including a doctors, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, social workers and psychologists.

Your GP and/or other community supports will be regularly updated to ensure that everyone involved in your ongoing care understands the plan for your mental health treatment.

When you recover, we will refer you back to your GP or provide you with other treatment and support options for your ongoing care.

How to access this service

To access this service, your GP or medical practitioner will need to contact 1300 MH CALL (1300 64 2255).

Referrals

To ensure your service needs are met in a timely manner we would request the following information at time of referral:

• Self or carer referrals: Our triage clinicians will guide you through any additional information that may be required. It is essential to know about active Guardianship or Power of Attorney arrangements.
• For health practitioners: Key assessment findings, treatment interventions provided or proposed, and current General Practitioner/other service providers.
• For General Practitioners: Key assessment findings including physical examination, current medications and recent investigation/pathology results.
• For residential aged care facilities: General Practitioner review prior to referral (see GP requirements above),
• Emergency services (Ambulance or Emergency Departments): These services can facilitate access for individuals in an acute crisis.
• What if the person won’t agree to be seen? The Mental Health Act 2016 provides for the involuntary assessment and treatment, and the protection, of persons with mental illness. Our Acute Care Team can advise you about this.

What to bring

Clinics