Mental Health Australia's submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

In March 2019, Mental Health Australia made a submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The submission highlights the current structural arrangements, which impede the provision of timely and appropriate identification and treatment of mental health conditions in older Australians. It also suggests particular areas of focus for the Royal Commission in order to improve care of older Australians.

The submission urges for the Royal Commission to consider:

  • the benefits of extending the application of GP Mental Health Treatment Plans to residents of aged care facilities

  • appropriate mechanisms to encourage mental health professionals to practice in residential aged care settings

  • funding arrangements for psychosocial supports services for residents of aged care facilities

  • increasing mental health literacy among all residential aged care staff.

  • a mechanism to enable access for older people to community based psychosocial support to complement the clinical support provided through GP Mental Health Treatment Plans or Home Care Packages.

Read the submission here.

 

 

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