Mental Illness

What I can do

Recognising mental health needs early ensures timely care. You can support quality care of older people with mental illness by:

• Being alert to changes in mood, social withdrawal, agitation or unusual beliefs that may indicate depression, anxiety, or psychosis
• Using screening tools such as the Geriatric Depression Scale (28kb pdf) or Geriatric Anxiety Inventory. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia or Rating Anxiety in Dementia (RAID) (151kb pdf) should be used for people with dementia
• Consulting the older person’s GP or nurse practitioner to recommend a formal mental health assessment or specialist referral.

Psychiatric symptoms at the end of life can sometimes mask or overshadow physical care needs. Be proactive in assessing pain and discomfort, especially for people with serious mental illness impairing their ability to communicate.

Help people with mental illness express their care preferences. Those with severe mental illness may need additional advocacy to ensure their choices are documented.

What I can learn

You can enrol in the free learning module Promoting mental health and wellbeing (Free: Registration required) from Wicking, University of Tasmania.

The report Mental health in aged care from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare provides the most current data on mental illness prevalence and care needs in Australian home and residential care services.

What I can give

If an older person, their family or carer needs information on support for mental illness in aged care these resources may be helpful:

• 10 questions to ask about your mental health needs in residential aged care leaflet (425kb pdf) from ACQSC.
• The video Depression & anxiety in older patients (7 mins) from Ramsey Health Care provides clear information and advice for older people living at home with mental health concerns.
• The Medicare Mental Health website offers a self-assessment tool and helps Australians navigate to the services most appropriate for their needs.

What I can suggest

With a growing number of people with mental illness entering aged care, staff will need the skills to support their needs effectively. You might suggest training for your team on a range of mental health issues, including:

• Recognising and screening for mental health concerns
• The use of medications for depression and anxiety in older adults
• Effective non-pharmacological approaches to managing mental conditions.

Staff may benefit from clear guidance on how to escalate concerns and the available referral pathways to specialist mental health services.

Services might also implement routine mental health checks for older people.

Page updated 17 March 2025