Older people

Mental health services for older people in South Australia include:

Community Mental Health Teams

Older persons’ community teams operate Monday to Friday to provide: 

• initial mental health assessment 
• treatment
• care planning 
• follow-up 

for people aged 65 and over, (45 years for Indigenous consumers) or younger if experiencing pre-senile dementia with complex issues.

These services are geared specifically towards the care needs of older persons and the nature of the intervention is similar to those offered by general community mental health services. 

In addition, the service provides in-reach support to residential aged care facilities to assist in ensuring residents’ quality of life.

Eastern team
398A Payneham Rd Glynde
Telephone (08) 8336 7301

Northern team
30 Gawler Street Salisbury
Telephone (08) 8182 9204

Southern team
Springbank House 1020 South Rd Edwardstown
Telephone (08) 8374 5800

Western team
320 Grange Road Kidman Park
Telephone (08) 8268 7431

Country liaison service
Telephone (08) 8305 1559

Older persons’ transitional service

The older persons’ transitional service operates seven days a week to provide a consultancy service to ensure consumers are linked to support services that meet their needs and prevent unnecessary admission to hospitals or nursing homes. The team manages immediate needs as well as addressing long-term issues.

Contact: Transitional Care Consultant
Oakden Hospital  200 Fosters Rd Oakden
Telephone (08) 8282 1453

Country older persons mental health services

Mental health services are jointly delivered to older people living in country regions by the local mental health team and a consultation liaison service based at the Glenside Campus.

Services are available through the local mental health team within business hours. 

Out of hours services are available 24 hours 7 days per week through the Emergency Triage Liaison Service (ETLS) on 13 14 65.

Find your local Country Health mental health team.

Consultation Liaison Service

The consultation liaison service offers a visiting and remote service with direct assessments of consumers as well as education, advice and support for service providers. The consultation liaison service offers a distance consultation and video conferencing service.

Acute inpatient units

Acute units provide psychiatric inpatient assessment and treatment for people aged 65 and over (or younger, if suffering from age-related mental health issues). Admission to acute inpatient units requires an initial referral through the older persons’ mental health community team during business hours or by ACIS outside of business hours.

Acute inpatient units for older persons are located at:

Rosewood at Glenside Campus (relocating to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2012)
Contact: Rosewood Clinical Services Coordinator
Glenside Campus 225 Fullarton Rd Parkside
Telephone (08) 8303 1307

Ward 18 Repatriation General Hospital
Contact: Ward 18, Clinical Services Coordinator
Daws Rd Daw Park
Telephone (08) 8276 9666

1H at the Lyell McEwin Hospital
Contact: Ward 1H, Clinical Services Coordinator
Lyell McEwin Hospital Oldham Rd Elizabeth Vale
Telephone (08) 8133 2154

Clements House - transitional care unit

Clements House, located on Oakden Campus, provides a short term intensive rehabilitation service following an acute admission for consumers from across South Australia. This enables consumers to return to their own home or residential aged care facility.

Contact: Clinical Services Coordinator
Oakden Hospital 200 Fosters Rd Oakden
Telephone (08) 8282 0490

Older persons’ extended care unit

The extended care unit for aged consumers is located on the Glenside Campus and provides residential-style accommodation for residents with complex mental health and/or behavioural problems, who have not been able to maintain links with their community, either in their own home or residential aged care facilities.

Contact: Clinical Services Coordinator
Glenside Campus 225 Fullarton Rd Parkside
Telephone (08) 8303 1547.

Makk and McLeay Nursing Home

Makk and McLeay Nursing Home (located at Oakden Campus) provides treatment in a residential care setting. The home has specialist mental health and geriatric expertise for its residents, whose challenging behaviours have prevented them from residing in mainstream aged care facilities. The program improves access to general residential aged care services for some residents whose clinical needs have changed and whose challenging behaviour has improved.

Contact: Clinical Services Coordinator
Oakden Hospital 200 Fosters Rd Oakden
Telephone (08) 8282 0491