4 results
FC3: “Empowering Health & Social Service Providers in Addressing Social Isolation & Loneliness in Older Adults”
- Bette E. Watson-Borg, David K. Conn, Claire Checkland
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 35 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, p. 66
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“Social isolation among older adults is associated with increased change of premature death; depression; dementia, disability from chronic diseases; poor mental health; increased use of health and support services; reduced quality of life; poor general health; and an increased number of falls.” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2020).
Without question, the global pandemic has significantly exacerbated both the prevalence and awareness of social isolation and loneliness as a growing health and societal challenge for older populations.
“Because of growing calls for Canada’s health-care systems to identify, prevent and mitigate loneliness as part of COVID-19-related public health efforts, there is a unique opportunity to build capacity to identify and intervene with older adults who are experiencing social isolation or loneliness.” National Institute on Aging (2022).
Over the past two decades, the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH) has developed a number of internationally recognized clinical guidelines in support of mental health for older adults. CCSMH is responding to the growing mental health crisis of isolation and loneliness with the development of evidence-based guidelines, to support the vital work of health and social service providers across Canada. The focus of these guidelines is to develop a broad range of evidence-based, manageable, and stepped care approaches to identify and address social isolation and loneliness in older adults. It is recognized that this topic is extremely complex and vast in potential scope. Through the guidance of a national working group of experts, these guidelines will draw upon both academic and grey literature, as well as on the experience of a diversity of health and social service providers, older adults, and their caregivers. This project will also provide guidance, promoting wellness and reducing the risk of social isolation with targeted messaging, knowledge translation and useful tools for supporting social connection among those at highest risk.
This presentation will share the Guidelines’ preliminary recommendations, as well as data from two national surveys alongside other insights gained from ongoing research and stakeholder engagement.
431 - Establishing a Canadian National ECHO Educational Program focused on Mental Health of Older Adults
- David Conn, Lisa Sokoloff, Claire Checkland, Jasmeen Guraya, Vivian Ewa, Sid Feldman, Cindy Grief, Andrea Hunter Navena Lingum, Ian MacKay, Kiran Rabheru, Anna Santiago, Dallas Seitz, Devin Sodums, Laurel Steed
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 33 / Issue S1 / October 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 November 2021, pp. 50-51
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Background
Project ECHO is a virtual, case-based capacity-building education program for healthcare providers. It was developed in New Mexico, USA but, due to its effectiveness, the model has now spread to 40 countries around the globe. Baycrest, the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health and the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry collaborated to launch a national ECHO for mental health and aging. This partnership, coordinated by a cross-Canadian Steering Group, allows for broad reach, including registration of learning partners from almost all Canadian provinces and territories. The program was funded by the RBC Foundation.
MethodsECHO COE: Mental Health pilot consisted of 2 cycles:
6 weekly sessions focused on broader mental health topics (e.g., delirium, mood disorders)
10 weeks with more specific topics (e.g., substance use disorders, sleep disorders)
Needs assessments of healthcare providers and older adults informed the program curricula. Evaluation included weekly satisfaction surveys, and pre and post evaluations.
ResultsParticipants:
154 healthcare providers participated in the 6-week session
39% of registrants were nurses or nurse practitioners, 35% allied health professionals, 14% physicians and 12% others
9 out of 10 provinces, 1 territory represented
Preliminary findings (based on the first 6 sessions):
High overall satisfaction (average of 4.5 out of 5).
99% would recommend the program to others
67% had already shared information with team members and colleagues.
ConclusionA national ECHO program is an effective way to bring together clinicians who work with and are interested in the mental health and wellbeing of older adults for education sessions, collaborative and mutual learning as well as for cross-jurisdictional knowledge transfer. Collaborative, cross-professional learning supports the exchange of best practice in mental health for older adults, supports the development of collegial national professional support and can address health system inequities. An international ECHO through IPA would be an exciting and valuable next step.
401 - Cannabis and Older Adults
- Kiran Rabheru, David K. Conn, Claire Checkland, Daria Parsons
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 33 / Issue S1 / October 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 November 2021, pp. 28-29
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The National Cannabis Survey results indicates that cannabis consumption among older adults has been accelerating at a much faster pace than other age groups in Canada. Internationally, an increasing number of countries and U.S. states have also legalized medical and non-medical cannabis.
More than 1500 physicians, nurse practitioners, other healthcare providers, healthcare students, older adults and caregivers of older adults responded to a needs assessment survey on Cannabis and Older Adults distributed by the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH) in the fall of 2020.
Responses showed that 89% of physicians and nurse practitioners and 76% of other healthcare providers are aware of older patients in their practice using cannabis. Despite this fact, only 39% of physicians and nurse practitioners and 26% of other healthcare providers feel strongly or very strongly that they have sufficient knowledge and expertise to address older patients’ and their
caregivers’ questions about cannabis.
Older adults who responded to the survey indicated that their most common reasons for using cannabis were pain, sleep and anxiety. Fifty-one percent responded that they had talked to their doctor or healthcare provider about cannabis but 41% of those older adults stated that their doctor or healthcare provider were unable to answer their questions. Older adults reported they access information on cannabis from the internet (45%), physicians (40%), friends and family (34%), cannabis stores and clinics (28%), the media (24%), and other healthcare providers (16%). Fifty-four percent of older adult respondents who use cannabis do so with a prescription or medical authorization from their physician/nurse practitioner for medical/therapeutic reasons. One quarter of respondents indicated they use cannabis for non-medical reasons (for recreational use).
Although there is a reported gap in knowledge regarding cannabis and older adults, physicians, nurse practitioners, other healthcare providers and healthcare students all reported they are eager to learn more about how to talk with patients, how to authorize and prescribe cannabis appropriately, how to mitigate risks and assess for cannabis use disorder in older adults. CCSMH will be launching a physician- accredited e-learning course on Cannabis and Older Adults in January 2022.
Comparing a clinician-assisted and app-supported behavioral activation intervention to promote brain health and well-being in frontline care
- Keri-Leigh Cassidy, Michael Vallis, David Conn, Ariane S. Massie, Claire Checkland, Daria Parsons, Julie Spence Mitchell, Kiran Rabheru
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 33 / Issue 6 / June 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 24 August 2020, pp. 615-625
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Background:
Positive psychiatry offers an unique approach to promote brain health and well-being in aging populations. Minimal interventions through behavioral activation to promote wellness are increasingly available using self-guided apps, yet little is known about the effectiveness of app technology or the difference between clinician-supported behavioral activation versus self-guided app methodologies.
Objectives:Investigate the difference in users and outcomes between two methods of the Fountain of Health (FoH) positive psychiatry intervention for behavioral activation to promote brain health and well-being: (1) clinician-assisted and (2) independent app use for behavioral self-management.
Design and setting:As part of a larger knowledge translation intervention in positive psychiatry, two specific methods of a behavioral activation intervention were retrospectively compared.
Participants:Two subsets of patients were compared; 254 clinician-assisted patients; 333 independent app users.
Intervention:A minimal positive psychiatry intervention in frontline care using the FoH health and behavior change clinical tools
Measurements:Main outcomes were changes in psychological (health and resilience, well-being scores) and behavioral indices (goal attainment, items of goal SMART-ness). User profiles (age, sex and completion rates) were also compared.
Results:Clinician-assisted patients were more likely to be male, older, and have lower health and resilience scores at baseline. Clinician-assisted patients had notably higher completion rates (99.2% vs. 10.8%). Psychological outcomes (improved health and resilience, and well-being) were similar regardless of intervention method for those who completed the intervention. Behavioral outcomes revealed clinician-assisted patients set goals that better adhered to key goal-setting items.
Conclusions:Clinician–patient relationships appear to be an important factor for intervention completion and behavioral outcomes, while further exploration of best practices for intervention completion using health apps in clinical practice is needed. A preliminary goal-setting methodology for effective behavioral activation, to promote brain health and wellness, is given.