Catholic Healthcare Supporting Older People Living With a Mental Illness

Catholic Healthcare has announced they are preparing to operate a 10 person Mental Health Aged Care Partnership Initiative (MHACPI) transition unit within the Charles O’Neill Hostel at Mayfield West in Newcastle.

The purpose of NSW Health’s Pathways to Community Living Initiative - MHACPI transition units are to support the transition of older people living with severe behavioural and psychiatric symptoms, or complex needs associated with mental illness and/or dementia and ageing, from long term acute mental health care services, via the MHACPI Transition Unit, into mainstream residential aged care.

“In line with the organisation’s mission to promote life in all its fullness, we are looking forward to supporting those in need, and providing them with the care and support they require to transition into mainstream aged care,” said Anne Maree Hodgson, general manager Residential Care.

The initial focus for the Catholic Healthcare operated MHACPI transition unit will be older people who have experienced long stays in mental health inpatient units in the priority sites identified under the Pathways to Community Living Initiative.

“The new ‘home like’ purpose-designed 10 person specialist unit in our existing Charles O’Neill Hostel aged care service will be opened and operational in February 2017,” Ms Hodgson said.

This will be the second Catholic Healthcare operated MHACPI transition unit in NSW, the other transition unit has been operating for the past 12 years within Holy Spirit aged care service in Croydon.

“The expected length of stay for a resident in a MHACPI transition unit is approximately 250 days. Throughout this period they will be provided with appropriate accommodation, care and support, with the focus on enabling them to transition to mainstream residential aged care,” concluded Ms Hodgson.

In coming weeks Catholic Healthcare will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) mental health service to support the effective operation of this new MHACPI transition unit.

Under this agreement the HNELHD mental health service will be responsible for providing specialist psychiatric support, consultation, liaison and treatment advice for residents, working in collaboration with general practitioners and allied health professionals to ensure the physical and holistic health care of the resident is maintained.

In addition to the refurbishment of the existing Charles O’Neill Hostel to accommodate the MHACPI transition unit, Catholic Healthcare has plans to expand this service to accommodate an additional 40 residents, offering further capacity to care for the marginalised, socially and financially disadvantaged and vulnerable older people living with mental illness in the Hunter region.

Click here to find out more about Catholic Healthcare's aged care services.