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There will be an increased need for psychologists to provide mental health services in residential aged care facilities. Experience while training is invaluable to improving both confidence and interest in working in this area. Awareness of potential barriers and ethical situations that may impede good mental health care is necessary when providing supervision. This paper reviews issues that supervisors need to be aware of when working with students in this clinical space. Barriers and enablers of clinical placements in residential aged care settings are discussed. Models of care, ethical considerations relating to risk, consent and working systemically, multiple clients, practical difficulties of being off-site and clinical aspects of adapting therapy to residential care settings are identified as key issues related to supervising students. Potential solutions, resources and practical approaches to these issues are also highlighted. A positive approach to the complexities of working in residential aged care settings can lead to quality supervision and clinical care in this much needed area. What is already known about this topic: There is a high degree of mental health issues amongst older adults living in residential aged care. Concerns have been raised about how clinical psychologists will meet future workforce demands. There is a lack of supervisors with experience in providing clinical guidance in this area. What this topic adds: Supervising in residential aged care has been enabled by an increased level of funded psychological services available to aged care residents in Australia. Several unique ethical issues can arise within supervision in residential aged care contexts that need to be discussed with students to improve their competence. There are practical approaches to adapting clinical interventions and working systemically that serve to facilitate a student's placement journey in residential aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This brief examines the evidence that is currently available to inform the provision of psychological services within aged care services, considering both residential care and home care settings. Method A narrative literature review of the literature evaluating psychological approaches for common conditions in aged care settings was conducted, focusing on the assessment and treatment of common mental health disorders and dementia. Information on the current employment and training of Australian psychologists in geropsychology was also summarised. Results While further research is required, existing literature provides a clear rationale for the benefit of psychological approaches to address a range of conditions, including the management of dementia. There is only limited research focusing specifically on the home care setting, despite the increasing number of older adults who receive aged care services in their own homes. The current provision of psychological services in Australia is critically low, driven in part by funding limitations. Meanwhile, substantial gaps remain in the training provided to provisional psychologists. Conclusion A number of key recommendations are made to address the growing need for age-specific psychological assessments and interventions to be included as part of the delivery of aged care services in this country. Given the continued high prevalence of mental health disorders and dementia within aged care settings, as well as even higher rates of subthreshold conditions, improved access to psychological services for older Australians must become a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Rates of depression and anxiety are high among older adults in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). This study examined the extent to which psychological services are made available to facility residents in Australia, and investigated barriers to accessing such services. Method The sample consisted of 90 senior staff from a random sample of RACFs. Participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding their perspectives on the availability of psychological services and potential barriers to access psychological services. Results Access to psychological services was poor. Psychologists were employed at a rate only one third that of other providers of mental health services. Residents were rarely referred to psychologists or to psychological treatments. The most important barriers to access, as perceived by participants, were the low availability of psychologists specialising in treating older adults, lack of government funding for such access, and limited staff training in detecting depression and anxiety. Conclusion Access to psychologists and psychological services remains poor in Australian residential aged care settings. Such access may be improved by developing a workforce of clinical geropsychologists, improving funding mechanisms for residents to access psychological services, and addressing staff knowledge about depression and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents clinician's quick guide of evidence-based approaches on psychological treatments for depression and anxiety with older adults living in residential aged care facilities. Topics include individuals are among the most vulnerable in our society, with high rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms; and psychological interventions that have been validated for residential aged care populations include cognitive-behavioral and reminiscence therapies.