Call to action on depression training

Kate Carnell encourages aged care providers to ensure their staff receive beyondblue’s depression and anxiety training, with travel and accommodation subsidies now available.

In October 2013, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that 52 per cent of all permanent aged care residents had symptoms of depression. beyondblue believes the rate of anxiety, while unconfirmed, may be even higher. In the community, those older people requiring support to remain at home are twice as likely to experience depression compared to their well community counterparts.

That is one of the reasons that led beyondblue to develop the Professional Education to Aged Care (PEAC) program, which is being delivered to the aged care sector by specialised training organisations licensed to beyondblue.

The PEAC program provides evidence-based training for aged care staff to improve the detection and management of depression and anxiety in older people in both residential and community settings.

beyondblue has now developed two PEAC workshops – a residential and now a community program – each developed with industry input and tailored to meet the specific needs of those working in each setting. Since it launched in July 2013, the community workshop has received excellent feedback from staff working in the community.

To expand the PEAC program’s reach, we have provided funding to our licensees to cover travel and accommodation costs for workshops held outside metropolitan areas. To learn more, contact the PEAC licensees (information about the program and licensee details are available here).

I encourage all aged care agencies to ensure their staff receive this important training, especially at this time when travel and accommodation subsidies are available.

To learn more about the community workshops or PEAC as a whole, you can visit beyondblue or call 03 9810 6138.

Kate Carnell is the chief executive officer of beyondblue.

Related AAA coverage: ‘Half of aged care residents depressed’