Older Adults Living With Serious Mental Illness

Older Adults Living With Serious Mental Illness is organized by Quantum Units Education.

Release Date: 01/03/2020
EXpire Date: 01/03/2023

CE Course Description:
The needs and growth of the older population with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) exceeds the number of behavioral health providers that are trained in geriatric care and the workforce that works most frequently with geriatric populations are not routinely trained in how to recognize or effectively address SMIs.  This CE course provides a broad-based overview of workforce issues to consider when addressing the needs of other adults living with SMI.

CE Course Objectives:
• Describe three ways to prevent or reduce agitation among older adults when there are co-occurring dementias and medical conditions.
• Identify the most common mental health condition among older adults.
• List three diagnoses that are most commonly associated with SMI.
• Name three impairments that occur with age that can complicate the detection and diagnosis of mental disorders and can reduce an older person’s ability to follow through with recommended treatments.

CE Outline with Main Points
• The Changing Demographic of the Aging Population
• Challenges Faced by a Provider Workforce
• Increasing the Number of Providers to Treat Older Adults with SMI
• Ideas for Strengthening the Geriatric Workforce to Address SMI
• Programs and Services that Address the Needs of Older Adults with SMI
• Advancing Evidence-Based Practices and Models for Older Adults with SMI