Mental health blind spot in ACAT
People with mental health illness are being locked out of aged care services due to the reluctance of Aged Care Assessment Teams to assess people under the age of 65, according to the results of a SANE Australia survey.

People with mental illness are being locked out of aged care services due to the reluctance of Aged Care Assessment Teams to assess people under the age of 65, according to the results of a SANE Australia survey.

SANE Australia CEO Jack Heath said people with mental illness were more likely to experience the effects of ageing sooner and lived on average 25 years less than the general population.
However, service providers interviewed by the national mental health charity described the reluctance of ACATs to assess those under the age of 65, meaning individuals with a mental illness were placed into unstable housing where they could be harder to reach and could experience poorer mental health outcomes.
Mr Heath said fewer social networks and financial support also increased their likelihood of needing supported accommodation.
While he acknowledged the strong demand for limited aged care places, he said it was an issue of concern that those aged 50-65 with mental illness and multiple physical health conditions were having difficulties accessing aged care services.
The research coincides with a push supported by a range of stakeholders including the National Mental Health Commission, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the Australian Greens to recognise older people with a mental illness as a special needs group in the Aged Care Act.
Mandatory mental health training
Mr Heath said older people with mental illness also faced the “double stigma” of age and mental illness and called for improved awareness and training targeting the aged care sector.
He said there was also a dangerous misconception that depression was a natural part of ageing which could prevent health and care workers from identifying older people who were in need of additional support.
Attention on physical health
More broadly, Mr Heath said a lot more needed to be done to address the physical health issues of people living with a mental illness and the effects of ongoing medication as early as possible.
“The idea is to have psychiatrists and others as a matter of routine measuring things like a person’s blood pressure,” he said.
“Health professionals need to be taking into account the physical health aspects right from the outset rather than just saying that it is something to be dealt with later and invariably it doesn’t get dealt with at all.”
The report, Growing Older, Staying Well – Mental health care for older Australians draws together research, interviews and surveys SANE Australia conducted with over 130 people living with mental illness, carers and service providers. Read the full report on SANE Australia’s website.
Snapshot of recommendations:
- Targeted awareness campaign of public education about the issues experienced by older adults living with mental illness, and a stigma reduction program aimed at the aged care sector
- Mandatory mental health training for staff working in the aged care and community support sectors
- GPs and other primary health professionals should be encouraged to seek additional training and education in the treatment of coexisting physical and mental health problems
- More research focused on mental illness in older adults
Related story: Half of aged care residents depressed