Service Available to Residents
Service available to residents
A Completely New Service model never before seen in Aged Care
Depression, anxiety, somatoform Disorders are extremely common presenting diagnoses within Aged Care along with sleep problems.
The need for onsite cost effective Mental Health Service within the Aged Care Industry is becoming increasingly urgent to maintain quality care. We believe Aged Care Residents deserve access to on site Social Workers/ Psychologists.
Grow Wellbeing understands the complex multifaceted challenges Aged Care Providers face trying to provide care for Residents.
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Through our whole of Facility Mental Health/Wellbeing Services, we help our clients provide quality onsite Mental Health Services to Residents and we can do this free of charge!
Better Access to Mental Health Scheme enables Mental Health Services for Residents (see Funding )and provides 10 individual sessions and 10 group sessions per calendar year per Resident.
These 10 sessions are personally tailored to the Residents Mental Health/Wellness goals, and can be provided intensively over a 10 week block or over a 12 months period on a needs basis approach. It is flexible and guided by Grow Wellbeing's Social Worker/ Psychologist and Facilities Clinical Staff observed need for the Resident.
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Group Sessions aim to build on generic skills to assist the Resident take more control of managing their Mental Health /Wellness and include a variety of Stress Management, Relaxation technique/mindfulness and Education to support health thinking positive Mental Health. Medicare's Better Access to Mental Scheme Allows 6-10 Residents to attend a group session at a time.
Residents
The rate and complexity of presenting Mental Health Disorders is high in Aged Care compounding physical health, functional capacity and reducing quality of life. As new Residents transition into Aged Care the associated difficulty of adjusting puts them at risk of Mental stress and is often compounded by associated loss of Family home, social roles, bereavement & general loss of life purpose. It can be an extremely challenging time.
The types of Mental Health treatments provided are set out by Medicare's Better Access to Mental Health schemes eligible Evidenced based treatment list.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy ( CBT)
Cognitive Behaviour therapy is a focused approach based on the premise that cognition influence feelings and behaviours, and that subsequent behaviours and emotions can influence cognitions. The therapist helps individuals identify unhelpful thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
Motivational interviewing (MI)
Often provided as an adjunct to CBT, motivational interviewing is a directive, person-centred counselling style that aims to enhance motivation for change in individuals who are either ambivalent about, or reluctant to change
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Interpersonal psychotherapy is a brief, structured approach that addresses interpersonal issues. The underlying assumption of IPT is that mental health problems and interpersonal problems are interrelated. Specific interpersonal problems, as conceptualised in IPT, include interpersonal disputes, role transitions, grief, and interpersonal deficits. IPT explores individuals’ perceptions and expectations of relationships, and aims to improve communication and interpersonal skills.
Narrative therapy
Narrative Therapy is based on understanding the ‘stories’ that people use to describe their lives. The therapist listens to how people describe their problems as stories and helps them consider how the stories may restrict them from overcoming their present difficulties.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a group treatment that emphasises mindfulness meditation as the primary therapeutic technique. MBCT was developed to interrupt patterns of ruminative cognitive-affective processing that can lead to depressive relapse. In MBCT, the emphasis is on changing the relationship to thoughts, rather than challenging them.
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Cognitive behaviour therapy – relaxation strategies
Guided imagery, deep muscle relaxation and isometric relaxation. There are a number of relaxation techniques, including guided imagery, controlled breathing, deep muscle and isometric relaxation. Relaxation involves voluntarily releasing tension and reducing arousal of the central nervous system. Arousal may produce hyperventilation and so learning to breathe more slowly in a controlled manner counteracts this effect. Muscles also become tense when someone is anxious, so teaching awareness of excessive muscle tension followed by learning a series of exercises to progressively tense and relax muscles throughout the body can overcome this problem. Isometric relaxation is an abbreviated form of muscle relaxation which can be quickly invoked in anxiety-provoking situations. Guided imagery can assist with various forms of relaxation by providing a script and images of peaceful surroundings.
Activity scheduling
Activity scheduling is mainly used to assist with depression. It involves time management and scheduling in advance daily pleasant events, as well as activities which involve a sense of mastery and satisfaction. These activities are designed to provide enjoyment, change the person’s self-perception and improve self-esteem. Doing planned activities distracts clients from their problems and negative thoughts, helps them to feel better, paradoxically less tired, more in control of their lives and able to make decisions.
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Psycho-education
Psycho-education is the provision and explanation of information to clients about what is widely known about characteristics of their diagnosis. Clients often require specific information about their diagnosis, such as the meaning of specific symptoms and what is known about the causes, effects, and implications of the problem in question. Information is provided about medications, prognosis, alleviating and aggravating factors. Information is also provided about early signs of relapse and how they can be actively monitored and effectively managed. Clients are helped to understand their disorder to enhance their therapy and assist them to live more productive and fulfilled lives.
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Attention regulation
People with distorted cognitive processing often attend specifically to negative aspects of themselves, others and their environment, and not to neutral or positive aspects. They thus misinterpret events as unduly threatening or confirming of their inability to manage. They believe that others feel negatively towards them and hence that they are not worthwhile. Attention regulation involves teaching people to attend to the positive aspects of themselves, others and situations and to process events in a realistic way.
Stress Management
Stress management firstly involves identifying the stressful situation or event, and establishing whether it can be altered or has to be lived with. Specific techniques are added to problem solving skills in order to analyse the situations the person finds stressful, and to assist the person to cope with or manage whatever reactions the stress produces (e.g., anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms). Cognitions may have to be challenged and coping self-statements learned, as well as alternative behaviour in order to cope with the stressful reactions and be able to engage in problem-solving. In some cases, training in social skills, assertiveness, anger management and conflict resolution is also necessary.
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