Tag Archives: mental health

New Zealand has switched from one dementia screening test to another, from the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA©) to the Mini-Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (Mini-ACE). The new cognitive screening test evaluates four main areas – orientation, memory, language and visuospatial function. It is now the recommended screening tool for use by primary …

The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry is investigating the historical abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults in State and faith-based care in Aotearoa New Zealand. They are looking into why people were taken into care, what abuse they suffered, and the effects of the abuse on …

Older people, particularly those with underlying health conditions, were initially thought to be more susceptible to COVID-19, but in many ways older people and retirees may be better equipped psychologically to cope with this very strange time we find ourselves in. Older people have the experience of retirement to draw …

Some of the HBR edit staff met virtually the other day — a screen full of faces in a scene becoming more common everywhere. We talked about the content we’re commissioning in this harrowing time of a pandemic and how we can help people. But we also talked about how we were …

The baby boomers are longer-lived than previous generations, but they still experience similar rates of mental illness. Day clinics may be the way to address this concern. When most of us think of elderly mental-health problems, we think of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. But psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety are rife in older …

The interaction between physical and mental health has been attracting increasing attention.  People with long-term conditions are two to three times more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. The interdependency of mental and physical health has significant implications for individual patients. Mental health problems can complicate …

Creating a “community of care” outside hospital in the wider population could help revolutionize how we look after and care for those with mental health issues and dementia. South Korea has declared a “war on dementia” encompassing ideas around a “community of care”, which includes day dementia-care and prevention clinics, …

In recent years, there has been a shift away from a focus on illness alone, to more attention being placed on wellness, both in policy and health practice. “Five Ways to Well-being” is a set of five simple, evidenced-based actions which can improve wellbeing in everyday life for everyone, no …

Older people have diverse experiences of ageing. Mental health is just as important for older people as it is for younger people. Just over 7% of older adults living in the community experience mental illness and/or addiction each year. The prevalence of mental illness is estimated to be 3 – …

It was Gumboot Friday last week and the staff at Carter House Lifecare, Te Puke, decorated gumboots and invited residents and other staff to vote for their favourite and donate. Here is a photo of the winning boot:   Carolyn Gilmour, Carter House Lifecare facility manager said “We all felt …