Mental Health LiaisonEducation Nursing Project Team

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Mental Health Liaison/Education Nursing Project
Team

• PARTNERSHIP IN PRACTICE
• Recognising Depression in Older People

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Aims of the session

• To recognise depression in older adults in the
  acute general hospital setting
• To explore the care and treatment of older adults
  with depression in the acute general hospital
  setting

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Learning Outcomes

• At the end of the session you will be able
• to
• Recognise the symptoms of depression in older
  people
• Identify the risk factors within the general ward
  setting
• Build on existing clinical practice/case study
• Discuss treatment options
• Define depression

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Recognising depression

• Nurses are well placed to detect and
• prevent depression in older people,
• especially at times of critical life changes
• such as a period of physical illness, or a
• move to a care home, which the older
• person finds destabilising (Schofield et
• al, 2004)

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Identifying the Risk Factors within the ward
setting

• A knowledge of risk factors and an understanding
  of the significance of life events lends itself
  to a preventative approach.
• Symptoms may go unrecognised in the busy general
  ward and therefore treatment may be overlooked.

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Building on existing clinical practice/study

• What do you currently do now?
• How do you recognise depression?
• How do you assess?
• Who do you involve?
• What else could you do?
• Who else could you involve?

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How would treatment be sought within the general
hospital ward?

• Core Care Plan Low Mood
• Assessment
• Screening
• Watchful waiting
• Treatment
• Management of Care
• Information

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REMEMBER!!!!

• Treatment options should be offered
• To older people same as for younger
• People

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DEFINE DEPRESSION

• A collective term referring to disorders in
  which the central feature is a lowering of the
  mood, usually accompanied by reduced ability to
  enjoy or take interest in ones activities
  (Snowdon, 1998).And.

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DEFINE DEPRESSION

• Depression is a persistent condition in which a
  number of feelings, such as sadness, hopelessness
  or lack of energy dominate a persons life and
  make it difficult for them to cope (AS, 2004).

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OTHER RESOURCES

• Quick Reference Guide for the care and treatment
  of Older People with Depression in a General
  Hospital by Simon Peck, Psychiatric Liaison
  Nurse, simon.peck_at_iow.nhs.uk
• Depression management of depression in primary
  and secondary care, clinical Guidelines 23,
  www.nice.org.uk

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CONTACT DETAILS

• Please contact us if you need more
• information or wish to discuss/need
• advice re an older person with
• Low mood
• ?08454 222050
• Sally Ashton, Christine Carter, Sue Keane
• Mental Health Liaison/Education Nursing
• Team Project