Post-fall reporting in aged acute inpatient mental health units: an 18-month observational cohort study.

Background: Despite the high risk of falling for people with severe mental illness, there is limited falls research in mental health settings. Therefore, the objective of this observational cohort study was to conduct a focused post-fall review of fall episodes within aged acute inpatient mental health units at one of Australia's largest publicly funded mental health organizations.

Methods: A post-fall reporting tool was developed to collect intrinsic and extrinsic fall risk factors among three aged acute mental health inpatient units over an 18-month period.

Touching their lives: North Western Mental Health's approach to practice development in aged mental health.

The ongoing development of mental health practice is an important issue for consumers, carers, and clinicians. This paper outlines a practice development project undertaken by North Western Mental Health. The aim of the project was to assist nurses and direct care staff working in a residential facility to provide individualized, sensitive, therapeutic, and responsive care for long-term clients with severe mental illness.

Exploring the role of the mental health nurse in community mental health care for the aged.

There is currently considerable discussion about the impact of the aging population on the demand for health care services, however there is considerably less attention paid to the impact of mental health issues on the needs of the aged population. Nurses comprise the largest professional group within the mental health workforce in Australia. The availability of a high quality mental health nursing workforce will therefore be crucial to meeting the health needs of aging clients in the future, accompanied by an increased pressure to increase the proportion of care delivered in the community.