Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
The Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age has always maintained a strong focus on facilitating knowledge transfer so that clinicians, researchers and the broader community can participate in mutually beneficial partnerships resulting in improvements in research findings, clinical practice, communication and education for all involved.
Education, Training and Upskilling programmes conducted by the Academic Unit
Undergraduate teaching in old age psychiatry for 5th year MBBS students
- Postgraduate education for trainees in psychiatry and allied health
- Postgraduate education and ongoing upskilling programme in old age psychiatry
- Educational lectures and workshops for general practitioners
- Community Education – destigmatisation of old age and mental illness
These programmes have resulted in broad benefits for patients, the community and service providers:
- Improvement in the provision of service delivery to the elderly with mental disorders ranging from Community Care through to Residential Care in the Continuum of Care.
- Improvement in the quality of life of SVAPS patients and carers.
- Partnership and collaboration with other agencies in Australia and overseas.
- Use of new psychopharmacological substances, early and evidenced based access of SVAPS patients to new medications
- Understanding of cognitive, neuro-imagining and behavioural changes in Dementia and Huntington’s disease
Postgraduate education and ongoing upskilling programme in old age psychiatry
Since 1996 the Academic Unit has conducted an ongoing Upskilling and Professional Capacity Building Programme for GPs and health professionals. The aim of the programme is to increase the knowledge, skills, confidence and competence of general practitioners, nurses, nursing personnel, private psychiatrists and rural health practitioners in:
- Knowledge of psychiatry of old age
- Diagnosis and management planning
- Understanding the structure and resources of specialist old age psychiatry services
- Access to services and community support systems
Training and supervision for Rural Advanced Trainees in Old Age Psychiatry
The Academic Unit and SVAPS is the only accredited metropolitan training programme in Australia and New Zealand for advanced trainees from rural mental health services, and has been approved by The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Two advanced trainees have completed this programme, one of whom (Dr Ravi Bhat) was appointed as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Shepparton Rural Medical School.
Annual One-Day Seminars
Since 1991 the Academic Unit has conducted 12 One Day Seminars in Old Age Psychiatry for medical and allied health professionals from Victoria and interstate. Prominent speakers are invited from overseas to feature as keynote speakers at these seminars, which have achieved a very high educational status with participants from Victoria and interstate. In 2008, 130 health professionals from all over Australia attended the 13th Annual Seminar.
Leadership in the Asia Pacific Region
The Academic Unit provides training programmes in Old Age Psychiatry for doctors and health professionals in the Asia Pacific region (Singapore, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines and Taiwan) with active participation of SVAPS staff. SVAPS is recognised as a model for service delivery in the Asia Pacific Region.
The Academic Unit and SVAPS conduct a Clinical Placement Programme for psychiatrists, geriatricians, neurologists, nurses and allied health (occupational therapist, social workers) staff from South East Asia. In 2003 this programme was incorporated into the St. Vincent’s Health Postgraduate Overseas Specialists Training Programme (P.O.S.T.).
Respecting the Aging Clientele: A Training Programme for Commercial Service Providers
The Academic Unit and the Inner East Community Health Service (IECHS) conducted a Community-Based Interactive Educational programme in the municipality of Boroondara in order to improve the understanding and attitudes of commercial and health service providers to older persons, and to assist them in utilising this information in their delivery of services.
Key focus areas included the promotion of practices and behaviours that contribute to safe and healthy environments, improvements of the health, well-being and inclusion of socially isolated residents, raising community awareness of disability and promoting access and inclusion, and identifying effective responses to new and emerging community needs. Programme objectives included education about the physical, social and psychological changes of ageing, discussion of attitudes towards older people, and development of practical strategies for improving service provision to older clients.
The programme was attended by 33 representatives from various community and commercial organisations that provide services to older people, including local government, community associations, banks, hospitals, and ambulance and taxi services. The sessions provided an opportunity for these service providers to further their knowledge and understanding of key issues and attitudes towards older people through presentations given by experienced healthcare professionals and older people themselves, and to share experiences and ideas about service provision to the elderly.
The program directly resulted in several initiatives taken within the organisations to improve responses to elderly stakeholders and in the development of an innovative charter, applicable to any business or service: The Boroondara Charter for Quality Customer Service for the Elderly as Key Stakeholders. Delivery of this interactive educational program and the widespread application of the principles of the charter will hopefully engender a more caring community attitude and response to older people, not only in the municipality of Boroondara, but throughout the wider society.
The results of the evaluation of this interactive educational program were presented at the Silver Congress of International Psychogeriatrics Association in October 2007, in Osaka, Japan.