Do your clients have mental health issues? Are they scoring high on their Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD)? How are you dealing with this?
Stats show that over 40% of Australians over 60 have symptoms of depression. At Wellness & Lifestyles we provide a holistic approach to one’s health; we believe that it is not only important for people to have optimal physical health, but emotional health as well. Hence we have taken on a new service……PSYCHOLOGY!
And you may be able to receive this service at little or no cost to your organisation. Medicare rebates are available to assist clients who have a mental disorder and also for chronic disease management. This includes individual and group sessions for psychology and occupational therapy. Contact our office o 08 8331 3000 to find out more!
Current evidence suggests that the use of psychologists for dealing with behavioural problems in older people in residential care results in substantial cost savings, notably:
- A tenfold reduction in hospitalisation.
- A threefold reduction in drug side affects.
- Halving of the number of visits by general practitioners.
- A quarter of the number of visits by geriatric psychiatrists (Stokes Pachana & Helmes 2004 – The Australian Psychological Society).
A Wellness & Lifestyles’ Psychologist can provide a range of therapies, including Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy, problem-solving focussed interventions, social skills and assertiveness training, Spaced-Retrieval techniques to facilitate new learning, and grief counselling.
These therapies and techniques can greatly improve the quality of life for residents and contribute to a less stressful workplace for staff. Moreover, psychology-based interventions can be effective with people of varying cognitive capacity.
Psychologists study the way people feel, think, act and communicate with each other. They use various techniques and therapies that aim to reduce distress and to enhance and promote emotional well being. Psychologists can assist people who are having difficulty controlling their emotions, their thinking and their behaviour. This includes helping people with mental health difficulties such as depression or anxiety, serious and enduring mental illness, and addictive behaviours. Helping someone to learn new coping skills, or enhance already existing coping skills, enables them to take control of their life.
Psychologists can be accessed by anyone in the community. Medicare rebates are available to assist clients who have a mental disorder and also for Chronic Disease Management (CDM). Both these new Medicare services promote a team approach to mental health care, with general practitioners encouraged to work together with psychologists and other allied mental health professionals to increase the availability of care.
A Wellness & Lifestyles’ Psychologist is able to educate your facility/family member on these Medicare items and assist you in accessing these rebates. Under both Medicare schemes, a GP referral is required and the psychologist must be registered with the Psychology Board in their State or Territory.
A mental health disorder can include a range of diagnosable disorders that significantly impact on a person’s emotions, thoughts, social skills and decision making. They can include:
| Anxiety disorder | Sleep problem | Schizophrenic | Alcohol use disorder |
| Depression | Obsessive compulsive disorder | Bipolar disorder | Drug use disorder |
| Adjustment disorder | Phobic disorder | Sexual disorder | Conduct disorder |
| Bereavement disorder | Co-occurring anxiety and depression | Post-traumatic stress disorder | Attention deficit disorder |
| Panic disorder | Psychotic disorder | Eating disorder |
The disorders in the left column represent ones where a psychological intervention may be useful. The disorders on the right side would mainly require a medication review which may be provided by Mental Health Services for Older People or by a private psychiatrist or psycho geriatrician.
If you have a client/family member with a mental disorder, or who may be at risk of developing a mental health problem, they may be eligible for up to 12 individual sessions with a psychologist per calendar year and up to 12 group therapy services if they are seen as appropriate by their referring doctor and the psychologist.
If you have a client/family member with a chronic mental disorder, they may be eligible for up to 5 visits by the psychologist per calendar year under an Enhanced Primary Care Plan. A chronic medical condition must have been present for 6 months or more and can include, but is not limited to:
| Asthma | Mental disorder |
| Cancer | Arthritis |
| Cardiovascular illness | Musculoskeletal condition |
| Diabetes Melitis |
To find out more about how a Wellness & Lifestyles’ Psychologist can help you, please contact Head Office. Furthermore, your GP would also be able to provide valuable information regarding your eligibility to receive these services.
At Wellness & Lifestyles we promote a holistic approach to one’s health; we believe that it is not only important for people to have optimal physical health, but emotional health as well.
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