Perspectives of Veterans Affairs mental health providers on working with older adults with dementia and their caregivers.

ABSTRACT: Continuing education directed at building providers' skills and knowledge in geriatrics represents a practical approach to addressing the geriatric mental health (MH) care workforce shortage. To inform the development of professional training curricula, we surveyed MH providers (N = 65) at a Veterans Affairs medical center on working with older persons with dementia (PwD) and informal caregivers. Providers rated service provision to PwD and caregivers as highly important but endorsed modest self-efficacy. Half of respondents were minimally confident in managing risk of harm to self or others in a PwD. Respondents believed PwD can benefit from MH treatments, yet identified several barriers to providing care, including inadequate time and staffing resources. Interest in geriatric training to

SUBMITTER: Wyman MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7671942 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan-Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature