Spotting Depression in Older Adults | NHS E-Learning
Client: NHS England Older People’s Mental Health
Case Study Overview: Raising Awareness Through Innovative E-Learning
Healthcare professionals often face challenges in recognising and addressing depression in older adults. In collaboration with NHS England Older People’s Mental Health, EL Healthcare Education developed bespoke e-learning resources to empower professionals across diverse care settings.
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This project focused on enhancing skills in mental health awareness while ensuring accessibility and engagement - providing flexible learning for healthcare professionals.
The learning initiative targeted healthcare professionals in community care, care homes, social care, voluntary services, and NHS settings, delivering a flexible, inclusive, and impactful solution.
Objectives: Addressing Key Challenges in Older People’s Mental Health
Raising Awareness of Depression in Underserved Older Adults
Raise awareness of depression in older individuals, particularly in underserved care settings.
​Enhancing Healthcare Conversations on Depression in Older Adults
Improve the ability of healthcare professionals to engage in meaningful conversations with older adults experiencing depression.
Practical Insights into Treating Depression in Older Adults
Offer practical insights into treatment options for managing depression in older people.
Our Approach: Innovative Learning for Maximum Impact
Collaborative Course Design
EL Healthcare Education led the project, engaging content specialists, a multidisciplinary steering group, and individuals with lived experience. Our approach prioritised co-designed learning solutions, ensuring content met the real-world needs of healthcare professionals. Learning objectives were crafted with input from an expert advisory board and insights gathered through stakeholder interviews.
Accessible Digital Learning Materials
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Animations for healthcare training: 15 concise videos provided clear topic overviews. These were hosted on YouTube and integrated into an NHS Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) via an articulate package.
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Podcasts on mental health: A series of five episodes, hosted by our Co-Founder, Dr Lizzie Mills, alongside subject matter experts, featured authentic voices from healthcare professionals and individuals with lived experience.
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Interactive Games for learning: An engaging game simulated real-life scenarios, allowing learners to practice identifying and addressing depression in older people through storytelling and dialogue.
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Bite-Sized Learning Modules: Designed for flexibility and accessibility, modular learning materials were built to accommodate the busy schedules of healthcare professionals.
Inclusivity and Accessibility
Materials were developed with accessibility in mind, offering multiple formats to cater to the diverse needs of learners, including those in remote areas or with limited technology access.
The Solution: Bespoke E-Learning to Enhance Professional Skills
This project delivered a mobile-friendly, interactive learning experience, focusing on practical application. Combining animations, podcasts, and interactive games created a rich, engaging educational offering.
Learners could access materials anytime on their mobile devices, allowing for self-paced progress.
Impact and Results: Transforming Mental Health Learning
100% of participants stated they would want more learning like this in the future.
Participants praised the materials as “Excellent learning materials.”
Key Learning Outcomes:
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Improved learner confidence in recognising and addressing depression in older adults.
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Increased understanding of treatment options and conversational approaches.
What’s Next? Scaling Impact Across Healthcare Settings
Following the success of this initiative, EL Healthcare Education aims to scale the approach for other mental health topics, leveraging our expertise in bespoke e-learning solutions. By collaborating with additional NHS Trusts, we seek to drive meaningful improvements in professional development and patient care across the healthcare sector.
Key Takeaways: Empowering Professionals with Flexible, Engaging Learning
Innovative tools like animations, podcasts, and games make online learning accessible and practical.
Collaboration with experts and stakeholders ensures the content meets real-world needs.
Flexible, mobile-friendly e-learning supports healthcare professionals in delivering better outcomes for older adults.
Let’s Work Together: Transforming Learning with Bespoke E-Learning Solutions
Ready to elevate your organisation’s training, while keeping cost-effectiveness in mind? Let’s collaborate to create future-focused e-learning that empowers healthcare professionals and improves patient care.