U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA)

New toolkit available:
Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Senior Living Communities

Statistics show that adults age 65 and older have one of the highest suicide rates of any age group in the United States. This new toolkit from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) teaches staff working in senior living communities how to recognize and take steps to help someone at risk of suicide. The ideas presented in this toolkit can help prevent suicides, promote mental health, and create an environment that will enhance the well-being of residents and staff alike.

The Toolkit

• Includes materials to help create and implement policies, protocols, programs, and activities to promote mental health and prevent suicide among older adults.
• Discusses strategies to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors for all residents, regardless of their risk for suicide.
• Focuses on what facilities should do after suicides and suicide attempts.

For more information, visit: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA10-4515/

Need continuing education credits?  Want to expand your knowledge of Gerontology?

Register for Gerontology Online!  Six online courses ($1,000 to register for all six) focusing on important topics relating to the aging process, enhancing the skill set of professionals working in the field of Aging, are being offered:

• Concepts of Aging
• Cultural Dimensions of Aging
• Environmental Context of Aging
• Mental Health & Aging
• Interdisciplinary Seminar on Aging
• Interventions with Older Adults

For more information about online courses or to register for Gerontology Online, visit http://www.matherlifeways.com/GerontologyOnlineCourses/ or contact Jon Woodall at (847) 492.6753.

Free Comfort Care Guide

The Alzheimer’s Association-Greater Illinois chapter is offering a free online resource, Encouraging Comfort Care: A Guide for Families of People with Dementia Living in Care Facilities.  This 21-page booklet provides useful information to families and staff of long-term care facilities about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, particularly care issues related to the late and final stages.

For families, this guide will enable them to make informed choices about a variety of medical decisions they may face on behalf of loved ones with dementia living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other types of care facilities.  It will also equip families to ask good questions aimed at obtaining the best care for their loved ones, including a handy checklist of comfort care measures to be discussed with staff members of care facilities.

For staff members of long-term care facilities, the guide will serve as an important tool for those who wish to educate families and assist them in care planning.  Individuals and organizations are encouraged to disseminate this booklet in electronic and print formats.

The Encouraging Comfort Care guide was made possible through a grant from The Retirement Research Foundation and is available at:  http://www.alzheimers-illinois.org/pti/comfort_care_guide.asp.