National Guidelines for Seniors' Mental Health

The Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health (CCSMH) was established in 2002 with the mission to promote the mental health of seniors by connecting people, ideas and resources. The CCSMH is proud to have been able to facilitate the development of clinical guidelines. These are the first interdisciplinary, national best practices guidelines to specifically address key areas of seniors' mental health. The number of seniors receiving care in Long Term Care (LTC) homes has increased dramatically. Studies suggest that mental disorders among nursing home residents is a serious concern, yet there are limited availability of services. Based on available evidence, the CCSMH LTC guideline provides recommendations on: general care, assessment, diagnosis and monitoring; management of depressive symptoms and disorders and behavioural symptoms (non-pharmacological & pharmacological); organizational and systems issues.