Recommendations for staff education and training for older people with mental illness in long-term aged care

Background: This paper was written as a result of the International Psychogeriatric Association Task Force on Mental Health Services in Long-Term Care. The appraisal presented here aims to (1) identify the best available evidence that underpins best practice for geriatric mental health education and training of staff working in long-term care, and (2) summarize the appraisal of the literature to provide recommendations for practice. Methods: An initial search of databases found 138 papers related to the search strategy. Selected papers were summarized and compared against set inclusion criteria. This resulted in 17 papers suitable for review. Results: The majority of papers focused on behavior skills training. A number of key factors were identified that determine the success of geriatric mental health education and training and recommendations are outlined. Conclusions: Methodological weaknesses are common and highlight the need for further replication studies using strong research designs.