There are some risk factors in suicide that are particular to older people yet rarely are included in suicide risk assessment tools nor covered in suicide prevention training.

Many general population suicide prevention and mental wellbeing campaigns do not or inadequately address the unique contributing factors to depression and suicide in older people.

Studies indicate that the aged care sector is underprepared, the workforce under skilled and there lacks leadership to champion effective prevention strategies and promoting wellbeing in older people.

It is critical that those working with older people are

knowledgeable about the latest research and understanding of suicide in older people

confident and competent in responding to the depressed or suicidal older person

able to implement a suicide postvention response and provide support for those impacted by a suicide death

This workshop is specifically designed for those who work with older people in community or residential settings in the NZ context.

Suicide in those over 65 is more common than is generally thought. The provisional 2019/20 suicide statistics showed that suicide among the elderly is on the increase. Often under reported, depression and suicide is a major mental health issue for this age group. Primary health professionals, support workers, aged care workers, pastoral care workers & clergy are often best placed to identify those at risk and to provide support and interventions.

Emerging mental health issue
As the baby boomer generation age, many will enjoy reasonable physical health, however mental health issues, in particular depression, will be a prevalent health issue. This is not just an issue for those in primary care or aged care facilities but is one that needs serious consideration by management and workers in retirement villages.In a study of the locations of suicide in New Zealand, it was found that apart from private home, aged care facilities and retirement villages were the most common places where older people killed themselves. This has implications for family, staff and other residents.

Impact of COVID-19
Due to effective pandemic control, the impact of COVID-19 has been limited. However there were may be further community outbreaks. Being a significantly vulnerable population, the potential contracting of the COVID-19 virus has not only serious health implications, including higher possibility of death but also mental health implications which require serious attention. Lockdowns, self-isolating and physical distancing has heightened feelings of loneliness and isolation, issues that already are major risk determinants of suicide in older people. COVID-19 related depression and anxiety in older people will be addressed in the workshop.

Suicide vs Assisted Dying
In November the End of Life Choice Act allowing assisted dying becomes law. Last year's public referendum saw a robust public debate about whether people have the right to end their life at a time of their choosing and, if so, under what circumstances. It presented a combination of philosophical, moral, legal and ethical dilemmas. Suicide is not the same as assisted dying. Understanding the difference between the two is critical for those working with older people. While the narrative of a suicidal older person may be similar to someone wishing to take up the option of assisted dying when at the end stage of a terminal illness, they are very different and require different responses and interventions. The workshop will cover the complex interrelationship of factors, the difference between suicidality in older people and assisted dying and the appropriate responses and interventions for each.

Workshop Description

This workshop is specifically designed for those who work with older people in community or residential settings in the NZ context. The identification and treatment of depression and suicide in older people is the main focus of this workshop. There are some risk factors in suicide that are particular to older people yet rarely are covered in suicide prevention training. It is critical that those working with older people are:

knowledgeable about the latest research and understanding of suicide in older people
confident and competent in responding to the depressed or suicidal older person
able to implement a suicide postvention response and provide support for those impacted by a suicide death.

Placing depression and suicide in older people in a social context, workshop participants will examine the factors that promote wellbeing and those that contribute to depression and suicide. Issues such a loss, redundancy and futility, loneliness and isolation, elder abuse, quality of life will be covered.

Topics covered in the workshop:

Grey not blue - Overview of depression and life stressors in older person and the risk for suicide
The silent suffering - Social determinants of suicide in older people
Suicidal behaviour vs Assisted Dying
Identifying suicide ideation and behaviour in older person
Support strategies for older people who are suicidal
Dealing with the impact of a suicide of an older person and prevention of suicide contagion

Previous participants' feedback

“A must attend for anyone working with older people. Learnt heaps”
Aged Care Worker

“Thank you so much for sharing your knowlege and passion. I leave with a new determination in my work”
Older Person Mental Health Nurse

“This is the first workshop I have attended that has provided such a comprehensive coverage of suicide in older people. Could see many of the factors in the people I see"
Elder Abuse Worker

'This workshop is long overdue. for far too long the issues you raised have not been addressed"
Older Person Advocate

"Absolutely fantastic. Best training I have been to in long time. So much to take back to my staff"
Director of Nursing, Aged Care Facility

"Appreciated the way you did not pathologise the aging process and provide a model to understand suicide and depression into an appropriate context"
Geriatrician

An opportunity for a day of learning with internationally respected suicidologist, Barry Taylor

Barry has proven leadership over 30 years at local, national and international levels in using community initiatives and strength-based approaches to improve individual and community wellbeing and the prevention of suicide. His work has strongly focussed on suicide prevention, assessment and management of suicidality and postvention including leadership of New Zealand's first national response to youth suicide in the late 1980s.

Barry has lectured and mentored programmes, both nationally and internationally, and been appointed to numerous government advisory committees on mental wellbeing promotion and suicide prevention. Throughout hi career he has been a strong advocate for more focused action on suicide in older people which he termed "the forgotten population." He is the only New Zealand member of the International Suicide in Older Persons Working Group. As a Health Sociologist and Public Health practitioner, Barry has a long-term interest in the factors that contribute to mental distress and suicide risk in older people, such as social isolation and retirement and sense of purpose in older men.

In 2016 he was awarded the NSW Mental Health Commissioner's Community Champion Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to mental wellbeing and suicide prevention.

After a number of years overseas, Barry is living back in New Zealand and is passionate about building the knowledge base, competence and capability within our country to effectively respond to the unacceptably high rates of suicide in this country.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

WORKSHOP PLACES ARE LIMITED. REGISTER EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

Places in each workshop are limited. If the workshop is full please register your name on the waitlist.

Payment: Payment is by either Visa or Mastercard.

Organisations can request to pay by invoice. At the payment method part of the registration process click on Change and select Pay By Invoice

Terms for Payment By Invoice

Payment by Invoice is only for NGOs, Government Departments, DHBs, PHOs, Schools and tertiary organisations, businesses.

By selecting Pay By Invoice the organisation agrees to the following conditions:

1. Your place in the workshop is not confirmed until payment has been received. Payment of the invoice must be made within seven days of registering to avoid having your registration cancelled. Late payment fees apply.

2. A Tax Invoice from TaylorMade Training and Consulting will be sent to you separately which will contain bank details for payment.

3. By registering for the workshop, you agree to the cancellation and policy. (refer below). Organisations who cancel within seven days of the workshop and have not paid the invoice for the outstanding registration fee are still obligated to pay the outstanding debt.

Catering: This workshop is fully catered. Please indicate in the registration process if you have any particular dietary requirements. If you register after the registration closing date, while every effort will be made, your dietary requirements may not be able to be catered.

Scholarships: There is a limited number of partial and full scholarships for those wishing to attend the workshop. Full scholarships are available for mental health consumers, carers and volunteers. Partial scholarships of either 25% or 50% off the registration fee are available for full time tertiary students in health, social service and disability related courses. Further information and how to apply for a scholarship is available on the TaylorMade website.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Workshops can fill quickly. If you are no longer able to attend the workshop please cancel your registration as soon as possible. The following refund policy is strictly adhered to.

Cancellation up to seven days prior to the commencement of the workshop: Full Refund less $30 + GST admin fee

Cancellation within seven days prior to the commencement of the workshop: No refund but registration can be transferred to another person. To transfer your registration log on to your registration and update the name and contact details to the new person attending.

No show on the day of workshop: No refund

Cancellation of Workshop by TaylorMade: TaylorMade Training and Consulting (TMTC) reserve the right to cancel the workshop if there are not the minimum number of registrations. If cancelled, participants will be offered a refund either by way of a credit to attend another TMTC workshop (within 12 months of the cancelled workshop) or full refund of their registration fee. Refunds will made by electronic transfer into a bank account specified by the participant. TMTC accept no responsibility for any other costs incurred by participant as a result of a workshop cancellation.

Disclaimer: The information provided in the workshop handout notes and at the workshops are the views of the trainer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TaylorMade Training and Consulting. The information and professional advice delivered in the workshop and the associated printed material is provided solely on the basis that before relying on this material, participants should obtain appropriate advice relevant to their particular circumstance to evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes. TaylorMade Training and Consulting will not be liable for any damages of any kind to any person or entity arising from the use of this information. Your attendance at this workshop reflects your acceptance of this statement.

Organiser Contact Details

Barry Taylor

Principal Consultant | TaylorMade Training and Consulting

Office: 04 280 0146 Mobile: 022 104 5060

Email: registration@wellbeing.nz Website: www.4wellbeing.nz