Training eldercare workers in mental healthcare.

INTRODUCTION: A significant proportion of older persons who require support or care services have mental health concerns. There is a need to equip frontline eldercare workers with the necessary skills in caring for older persons with mental illnesses. The Community Psychogeriatric Programme aims to support community eldercare providers with training and consultation. We sought to measure eldercare workers' perceived levels of stress and knowledge about caring for older persons with mental illness before (pre-workshop), immediately after (post-workshop) and three months after (three-month follow-up) they underwent standardised training workshops on dementia and depression.

METHODS: Participants who attended two four-hour workshops on dementia and depression were recruited for the study. Their knowledge of topics was evaluated pre-workshop, post-workshop and at three-month follow-up. Perceptions of working with older persons with mental health problems were rated pre-workshop and at three-month follow-up.

RESULTS: A total of 71 staff members from various eldercare centres participated in the study, of which 51 (71.8%) were women. At three-month follow-up, there was a significant change in most measures on Ryden's Perception Scale (p < 0.05). There were significant improvements in knowledge scores for dementia and depression (p < 0.001). Knowledge gains after the workshop were maintained at three-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Training of eldercare workers in mental healthcare is helpful for knowledge improvement and altering perceptions of caring for older persons. With continued support from mental health professionals, such training could contribute to better care for this vulnerable population.