Program offers elder mental-health training

Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation’s Excellence in Eldercare Program, Good Samaritan Hospital’s Health Ministries Program and Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services present “Mental Health First Aid Training for Older Adults and Those with Later-Life Issues” from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. March 15 at Miami Valley Hospital South’s Education Center Conference Room, 2359 Miami Valley Drive.

Registration is required and limited to 36 participants. Registration deadline is Wednesday.

According to the National Council on Aging, there are more than 6 million Americans 85 and older. That number is expected to more than triple by the year 2050, when the youngest baby boomers turn 86.

Older adults and care partners are less likely to identify a problem as a symptom of a mental health disorder. Older adults have high rates of late-onset mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression and low rates of identification and treatment.

Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) offers a tailored supplement that builds upon the effectiveness of the standard MHFA curriculum by focusing on older adults and the aging population.

Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based eight-hour training that teaches participants how to recognize and assist someone who is developing a mental health problem and/or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps people learn how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and addictions.

Participants are introduced to risk factors and warning signs of mental illness and receive education that builds understanding of their impact and overviews of common support responses.

For more information, visit www.goodsamdayton.org/Spiritual-Care/Health-Ministries/ and scroll to the Continuing Education Opportunities section to download the brochure, or contact the Good Samaritan Hospital Health Ministries Program at 937-734-9452.