Enhancing Mental Health in Aged Care with Telehealth

For healthcare administrators, ensuring equitable access to essential services across vast geographical regions is a significant operational challenge. This is particularly true for mental health support in aged care, where residents in rural and remote areas often face barriers to receiving timely psychological care. The logistical and financial complexities of delivering in-person services can lead to service gaps, impacting resident wellbeing and placing additional strain on facility staff.

Healthcare Australia (HCA) is committed to developing innovative solutions that bridge these gaps. In partnership with a major Primary Health Network (PHN) in New South Wales, we developed the Aged Care Telehealth Psychology Support Program. This case study details how this initiative leveraged technology and collaboration to overcome geographical and cultural barriers, setting a new standard for mental health service delivery in Australian aged care. We will outline the challenges faced, the integrated solution we provided, and the transformative outcomes for residents and care providers.

The Challenge: Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Support

Older adults in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) often experience mental health issues that go unaddressed. For our partner, a PHN covering one of Australia’s largest and most geographically diverse regions, this problem was particularly acute. The sheer scale of the region made traditional, face-to-face mental health services both logistically complex and cost-prohibitive to implement.

Several interconnected challenges needed to be addressed to provide effective psychological support to aged care residents:

• Geographical Isolation: The vast distances between facilities in Western NSW made it incredibly difficult to provide consistent, in-person psychological care. This isolation was intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited access even further and heightened feelings of loneliness and distress among residents.
• Lack of Staff Training and Awareness: There was a recognised gap in the ability of some RACF staff to identify the early signs of mental distress in residents. Furthermore, there was low awareness of available telehealth solutions among both facility staff and local GPs, which created a significant barrier to establishing effective referral pathways.
• Cultural and Stigmatic Barriers: Within some aged care environments, mental health concerns in older adults can be misunderstood or stigmatised. This can prevent residents from seeking help and make it more difficult for staff to address emerging issues effectively.
• Funding and Scalability Constraints: The program had to operate within finite funding parameters. This required a solution that was not only cost-effective but also highly scalable, with the ability to reach residents across the entire region without compromising the quality of care.

A new approach was needed to overcome these obstacles—one that could deliver high-quality, accessible, and personalised psychological support in a sustainable way.

The Solution: An Integrated Telehealth and Education Program

HCA responded to this pressing need with an integrated solution that combined advanced technology, targeted staff training, and strong stakeholder collaboration. Our goal was to create a service model that was both innovative and sustainable, ensuring residents could access the support they needed, regardless of their location.

We are proud to have delivered a program built on the following key pillars:

1. Advanced Telehealth Platform for Seamless Delivery

At the heart of our solution was the implementation of the Salesforce Health Cloud platform. This state-of-the-art system provided a secure and efficient foundation for delivering seamless telehealth services across the region. The platform enabled our team to effectively manage appointments, securely store clinical notes, and generate real-time reports. Through both video and telephone consultations, aged care residents in even the most remote locations could reliably access professional psychological support from qualified clinicians.

2. A Comprehensive Staff Education Initiative

Recognising that technology alone is not enough, we launched a comprehensive education initiative to empower RACF staff. We developed tailored online learning modules designed to help staff recognise the signs of mental distress and navigate the telehealth platform with confidence. These modules were complemented by in-person and virtual briefings, which deepened engagement and ensured staff felt fully equipped to support their residents’ mental wellbeing and facilitate access to the program.

3. Building Awareness and Strong Referral Pathways

To maximise the program’s reach, we executed a targeted awareness campaign aimed at local General Practitioners (GPs). This initiative highlighted the significant benefits of the telehealth service for their patients in aged care and established clear, simple referral pathways. By collaborating closely with local GPs, we significantly boosted program participation rates and ensured that residents in need were identified and connected with our services promptly.

This integrated approach successfully addressed the key educational, operational, and cultural barriers, creating a flexible and adaptable service model that ensures no resident is left without access to crucial mental health support.

The Impact: A New Benchmark for Aged Care Mental Health

The Aged Care Telehealth Psychology Support Program demonstrates the profound impact of combining technology with compassionate, person-centred care. By addressing both logistical and cultural barriers, HCA and our partner have paved the way for meaningful and effective mental health interventions in aged care settings, particularly in underserved regional and remote areas.

The success of this initiative is reflected in its significant and measurable outcomes:

• Substantial Program Adoption: Over 88% of all aged care homes in the Western NSW region are now actively using the service, resulting in broad and equitable mental health coverage for residents.
• Thousands of Consultations Delivered: The program has successfully facilitated 2,183 psychological consultations, providing vital support and significantly improving the mental health and wellbeing of participating residents.
• Enhanced Staff Capability: Through our structured training initiatives, RACF staff have gained essential skills in identifying at-risk residents and facilitating their access to care, fostering a more supportive environment within facilities.
• Improved Access for Remote Residents: The innovative use of telehealth and the Salesforce Health Cloud platform has ensured that residents in remote locations receive consistent, high-quality care that was previously unavailable.
• Boosted Sector Collaboration: The program has cultivated stronger partnerships between GPs, healthcare providers, and RACF managers, ensuring the seamless and efficient delivery of mental health services.

This initiative stands as a powerful model for how innovation and collaboration can bridge critical service gaps in the healthcare sector. HCA remains committed to enhancing and expanding this essential program, reaffirming our dedication to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all older Australians.