Sensitizing Inpatient Mental Health Staff to the Challenges of Aging

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Psychiatry
• Mental Health Nursing Education

Background:

• The population of aging individuals in state psychiatric hospitals is increasing.
• There is a lack of specialized training for staff to manage the unique needs of older psychiatric inpatients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a 10-week training series for psychiatric hospital staff.
• To evaluate the impact of the training on staff knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards older adults.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative 10-week training program was developed by a university and psychiatric hospital.
• 135 direct care nursing and rehabilitation staff participated in the training.
• The curriculum focused on aging awareness, problem-solving, person-centered techniques, and engagement strategies for older adults.

Main Results:

• Participants reported significant improvements in therapeutic techniques and knowledge regarding aging.
• Staff gained concrete strategies for patient care and enhanced stress management skills.
• The training positively impacted staff's ability to engage with older adult inpatients.

Conclusions:

• Specialized training can effectively improve psychiatric inpatient staff's understanding of aging and communication skills with older adults.
• Developing manualized training initiatives is crucial for addressing the needs of the growing aging inpatient population.
• Future interventions should focus on communication strategies and tailored care for older adults in psychiatric settings.