Resources

LATEST RESOURCES

NCMHA would like to share the following new resources in long term care and behavioral health:

June 2, 2022

During Mental Health Awareness Month and Older Americans Month, the Alliance for Aging Research released a series of tip sheets for clinicians.   These tip sheets share important information on diagnosis, treatment, and having important conversations with patients and their caregivers.  

NCMHA thanks Lindsay Clarke with the Alliance for Aging Research for sharing these Tip Sheets.

  • Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementiasfocuses on detection in the primary care setting, screening tools, the importance of early detection, tips for discussing an initial diagnosis, communication changes to expect as dementia progresses, shaking the stigma of common behavior changes, and tips for caregivers on communicating with loved ones.
  • Depression & Suicide in Older Adults talks about why older adults are at heightened risk for depression, the difficulties of detection, screening tools and reimbursement, important conversations and how to have them, how to detect if a patient is suicidal, and additional resources.
  • Substance Use Disorders & Mental Health in Older Americans discussed increased risk for substance use disorders [SUDs] in older adults, why they tend to be under-recognized and under-treated, screening tools, important conversations, and where to learn more.

    These mental health tip sheets are designed to give easy access to screening tools and make difficult conversations easier. Please feel free to download, print, and share them.

May 11, 2022

Hi NCMHA Members,

I have included links to two new reports on opportunities to address the needs of older adults with substance use conditions.  

The first report appeared in Health Affairs entitled, ” To Care for Older Adults with Substance Use Disorder: Create Age-Friendly Health Systems.” The report calls for efforts where older adults with substance use disorders must be able to access evidence-based treatment in age-friendly settings wherever they receive clinical care.

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20220505.917481/

The second report was developed by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) on “Combating the Opioid Crisis: Smarter Spending to Enhance the Federal Response.”  This report calls on the federal government to do a better job in partnering with all those impacted — states, localities, businesses, non-governmental organizations, patients and families — to support a system promoting prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery from opioid use disorder.  BPC said we need to fund evidence-based programs to maximize reductions in overdose deaths and addiction.  It makes several recommendations to leverage the Medicare and Medicaid programs to support these initiatives.

https://bipartisanpolicy.org/download/?file=/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/FINAL-Combating-the-Opioid-Crisis-Smarter-Spending-to-Enhance-the-Federal-Response.pdf

I hope you find this information useful, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Joel E. Miller
Chair 
National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging

National Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM)

Hello NCMHA Members,

With National Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) approaching in May, the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging (NCMHA) has developed a set of materials (see below for attachments and links) that you can use to post on your websites or forward to your members and audiences emphasizing “The Growing Need to Address Older Adult Mental Health Issues” during the month of May.

In addition to the attachments and links, please go to our website at http://www.ncmha.org for additional information, and post content about the Coalition and older adult mental health issues on your sites and platforms.

We recognize that you will be posting content for MHAM in May that pertains to your specific organization’s needs and interests, but we hope you will consider carving out opportunities during May to highlight your participation in the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, and the needs of older adults with mental health conditions using any of the attached materials and our website content.

Please let us know what your plans are for posting any content or themes to observe Mental Health Awareness Month.

We hope you find the information provided below and attachments useful, and please let us know if you have any questions. And please let us know if you post and forward any of these materials during May – Mental Health Awareness Month.

Many Thanks!
Best regards,

Joel E. Miller
Kathy Cameron

Chair, NCMHA Vice-Chair, NCMHA

NCMHA White Paper on “Why Older Adult Mental Health Matters”

NCMHA – SNAPSHOT OF THE CRISIS IN OLDER ADULT MENTAL HEALTH

NCMHA Statement to Ways and Means Committee (Lengthier Version Sent to Senate Finance Committee) on “Addressing America’s Mental Health Crisis to Improve Access to Behavioral Health Services for Older Adults”

COMMONWEALTH FUND REPORT – Comparing Older Adults’ Mental Health Needs and Access to Treatment in the U.S. and Other High-Income Countries

See Exhibit 5 – Among older adults with mental health needs, U.S. Medicare beneficiaries were the most likely to report cost-related difficulties getting needed health care.

The Commonwealth Fund survey asked older adults about times when cost prevented them from accessing health care in the past year, including when they had a medical problem but did not visit a doctor; skipped a needed test, treatment, or follow-up; did not fill a prescription for medicine; or skipped medication doses.

Despite the financial protections Medicare offers, its coverage leaves many U.S. older adults exposed to high health care costs. This is particularly true for beneficiaries with serious mental health needs who are likely to spend more on health services. High out-of-pocket health costs can lead beneficiaries to postpone care or forgo it entirely, which can produce poorer health outcomes and raise overall health care spending.

U.S. Medicare beneficiaries have one of the highest rates of mental health needs overall. Even so, they are more likely to skip or delay needed care because of costs than older adults in any other of the high-income countries we studied. Within the Medicare population, beneficiaries with mental health needs are more likely to skip care compared to those without mental health needs.

KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION REPORT – One in Four Older Adults Report Anxiety or Depression Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Kaiser’s analysis finds rates of depression and anxiety are high among adults ages 65 and older relative to rates in 2018, with one in four reporting anxiety or depression during most weeks since the onset of the pandemic – an increase from one in ten older adults who reported anxiety or depression in 2018. Rates of anxiety or depression among older adults were higher among those who are female, Hispanic, low income, in relatively poor health, who live alone, or who have experienced the recent loss of employment income in their household.

SAMHSA – Older Adults Living with Serious Mental Illness: The State of the Behavioral Health Workforce

The purpose of this brief is to provide a broad-based overview of workforce issues to consider when addressing the needs of older adults living with SMI,

The needs and growth of the older population with SMI exceeds the number of behavioral health providers that are trained in geriatric care. Further, the workforce that works most frequently with geriatric populations (primary care physicians, assisted living and nursing home staff, emergency department staff, inpatient hospital staff, and family members) are not routinely trained in how to recognize or effectively address SMIs.

SAMHSA – Psychosocial Interventions for Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness

The guide presents psychosocial interventions for older adults experiencing serious mental illness, including: Assertive Community Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training, Functional Adaptation Skills Training, Programa de Entrenamiento para el Desarrollo de Aptitudes para Latinos (Functional Adaptation Skills Training Program for Latinos), Integrated Illness Management and Recovery, and Helping Older People Experience Success. The guide provides considerations and strategies for interdisciplinary teams, peer specialists, clinicians, registered nurses, behavioral health organizations, and policy makers in understanding, selecting, and implementing evidence-based interventions that support adults with serious mental illness.

A Hidden Gem: How HCBS Can Support the Behavioral Health Crisis

Source: #Crisis Talk, Innovations, April 5, 2022
Author: Miriam Pearsall, Roxana Rodriguez, and Laura Blanke
A Hidden Gem: How HCBS Can Support the Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum – #CrisisTalk (crisisnow.com)

Washington State Retools First-in-the-Nation Long-Term Care Benefit

Source: Kaiser Health News, April 18, 2022
Author: Michelle Andrews
Washington State Retools First-in-the-Nation Long-Term Care Benefit | Kaiser Health News (khn.org)

“The Growing Need to Address Older Adult Mental Health Issues”

With National Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) approaching in May, the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging (NCMHA) has developed a set of materials (see below for attachments and links) that you can use to post on your websites or forward to your members and audiences emphasizing “The Growing Need to Address Older Adult Mental Health Issues” during the month of May.

In addition to the attachments and links, please go to our website at http://www.ncmha.org for additional information, and post content about the Coalition and older adult mental health issues on your sites and platforms.

We recognize that you will be posting content for MHAM in May that pertains to your specific organization’s needs and interests, but we hope you will consider carving out opportunities during May to highlight your participation in the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, and the needs of older adults with mental health conditions using any of the attached materials and our website content.

Please let us know what your plans are for posting any content or themes to observe Mental Health Awareness Month.

We hope you find the information provided below and attachments useful, and please let us know if you have any questions. And please let us know if you post and forward any of these materials during May – Mental Health Awareness Month.

NCMHA White Paper on “Why Older Adult Mental Health Matters”

NCMHA Fact Sheet — “A Snapshot of the Crisis in Older Adult Mental Health”

NCMHA Statement to Ways and Means Committee (Lengthier Version Sent to Senate Finance Committee) on “Addressing America’s Mental Health Crisis to Improve Access to Behavioral Health Services for Older Adults”

COMMONWEALTH FUND REPORT – Comparing Older Adults’ Mental Health Needs and Access to Treatment in the U.S. and Other High-Income Countries

See Exhibit 5 – Among older adults with mental health needs, U.S. Medicare beneficiaries were the most likely to report cost-related difficulties getting needed health care.

The Commonwealth Fund survey asked older adults about times when cost prevented them from accessing health care in the past year, including when they had a medical problem but did not visit a doctor; skipped a needed test, treatment, or follow-up; did not fill a prescription for medicine; or skipped medication doses.

Despite the financial protections Medicare offers, its coverage leaves many U.S. older adults exposed to high health care costs. This is particularly true for beneficiaries with serious mental health needs who are likely to spend more on health services. High out-of-pocket health costs can lead beneficiaries to postpone care or forgo it entirely, which can produce poorer health outcomes and raise overall health care spending.

U.S. Medicare beneficiaries have one of the highest rates of mental health needs overall. Even so, they are more likely to skip or delay needed care because of costs than older adults in any other of the high-income countries we studied. Within the Medicare population, beneficiaries with mental health needs are more likely to skip care compared to those without mental health needs.

KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION REPORT – One in Four Older Adults Report Anxiety or Depression Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Kaiser’s analysis finds rates of depression and anxiety are high among adults ages 65 and older relative to rates in 2018, with one in four reporting anxiety or depression during most weeks since the onset of the pandemic – an increase from one in ten older adults who reported anxiety or depression in 2018. Rates of anxiety or depression among older adults were higher among those who are female, Hispanic, low income, in relatively poor health, who live alone, or who have experienced recent loss of employment income in their household.

SAMHSA – Older Adults Living with Serious Mental Illness: The State of the Behavioral Health Workforce

The purpose of this brief is to provide a broad-based overview of workforce issues to consider when addressing the needs of older adults living with SMI,

The needs and growth of the older population with SMI exceeds the number of behavioral health providers that are trained in geriatric care. Further, the workforce that works most frequently with geriatric populations (primary care physicians, assisted living and nursing home staff, emergency department staff, inpatient hospital staff, and family members) are not routinely trained in how to recognize or effectively address SMIs.

SAMHSA – Psychosocial Interventions for Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness

The guide presents psychosocial interventions for older adults experiencing serious mental illness, including: Assertive Community Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training, Functional Adaptation Skills Training, Programa de Entrenamiento para el Desarrollo de Aptitudes para Latinos (Functional Adaptation Skills Training Program for Latinos), Integrated Illness Management and Recovery, and Helping Older People Experience Success. The guide provides considerations and strategies for interdisciplinary teams, peer specialists, clinicians, registered nurses, behavioral health organizations, and policy makers in understanding, selecting, and implementing evidence-based interventions that support adults with serious mental illness.

Climate Change and the Mental Health of Older Adults

Climate Psychiatry Alliance

Coping with Extreme Heat – Toolkits for Patients, Caregivers, and Professionals:

Tips for Caring for Yourself

Toolkit for Mental Health Care Providers

Tips for Caregivers and Families

Psychosocial Interventions for Older Adults With Serious Mental Illness

The guide provides considerations and strategies for interdisciplinary teams, peer specialists, clinicians, registered nurses, behavioral health organizations, and policy makers in understanding, selecting, and implementing evidence-based interventions that support older adults with serious mental illness.

Publication ID: PEP21-06-05-001
Publication Date: November 2021
Format: Guidelines or Manual

2021 Mood Disorder Survey

On August 24 2021, the National Alliance on Mental Illness published findings from the 2021 Mood Disorder Survey, coordinated by The Harris Poll.

Overall, the Survey finds treatment costs and stigma are major barriers to accessing care for mood disorders. To access the full news release, go to:
https://www.nami.org/Press-Media/Press-Releases/2021/Survey-Finds-Treatment-Cost-and-Stigma-Are-Major-Barriers-to-Accessing-Care-for-Mood-Disorders

To access key findings from the Survey and the full report, go to:

https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Publications-Reports/Survey-Reports/2021-Mood-Disorder-Survey

The Importance of Screening for Brain Injury in Older Adults: Case Studies of Success

On May 25, 2021, the National Council on Aging hosted a webinar entitled:

”The Importance of Screening for Brain Injury in Older Adults: Case Studies of Success”

Older adults have the highest rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) – related hospitalizations, with a leading cause being from falls. Recognizing this connection, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization of 2020 allows States to use Older Americans Act funding for TBI screenings. This webinar provides an overview of the magnitude of the connection between older adult falls and brain injury, and provides stories from two states who have trained aging professionals on screening protocols.

Presenters:

  • Rebeccah Wolfkiel, MPP, Executive Director, National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA)
  • Monica A. Lichi, MS, MBA, CCRP, Director, Ohio Brain Injury Program, Director, Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention & Rehabilitation, College of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  • Gabriela Lawrence-Soto, Grant – Project Manager, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, Community Based Services Department, Statewide Head Injury Program

Please visit the link here to access the webinar recording and slide deck.

Caring for an Aging Nation

The Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a report entitled, Caring for an Aging Nation.

The report includes a series of infographics on aging issues.

Download a copy of the report here.

Or you can also access the report at. https://khn.org/news/article/caring-for-an-aging-nation/

Recording of NCOA Webinar on Screening for Brain Injury in Older Adults and Illinois TBI Resources

On May 25, 2021, the National Council on Aging hosted a webinar entitled:

”The Importance of Screening for Brain Injury in Older Adults: Case Studies of Success”

synopsis: Older adults have the highest rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) – related hospitalizations, with a leading cause being from falls. Recognizing this connection, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization of 2020 allows States to use Older Americans Act funding for TBI screenings. This webinar provides an overview of the magnitude of the connection between older adult falls and brain injury, and provides stories from two states who have trained aging professionals on screening protocols.

Presenters:

  • Rebeccah Wolfkiel, MPP, Executive Director, National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA)
  • Monica A. Lichi, MS, MBA, CCRP, Director, Ohio Brain Injury Program, Director, Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention & Rehabilitation, College of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  • Gabriela Lawrence-Soto, Grant – Project Manager, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, Community Based Services Department, Statewide Head Injury Program

Please visit the link here to access the webinar recording and slide deck.

We thank NCOA’s Center for Healthy Aging for sharing this information with us.

SAMHSA Resources

SAMHSA now has a landing page for our resources for older adults.

CMS has recently notified and reminded beneficiaries and providers that Medicare covers mental health preventive services, including the initial preventive physical examination, annual wellness visit, and depression screening. CMS suggested that during Mental Health Month, that providers talk to their patients about their emotional, psychological, and social well-being – and that patients pay nothing if providers accept assignment.
More information can be found at:

COVID-19

Anxiety

Cognitive Aging

Crisis Response

Diversity

Dementia

Depression

Elder Abuse

Family Caregiving

General Mental and Behavioral Health

Integrated Health Care

  • Older Adults (SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions)

Medicare

Evidence-Based Practices/Model Programs

Public Policy

Serious Mental Illness

Substance Abuse

Suicide Prevention

Trauma

Veterans

Workforce

Useful Information for State and Local Mental Health and Aging Coalitions

Other Resources