In this installment of our Guidelines International Series, we will delve into the guidelines established by the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH). The CCSMH is committed to enhancing the quality of care and support for older adults throughout Canada. Their primary focus is on bridging gaps in knowledge and practice to ensure that mental health remains a top priority within the aging population. Their mission is rooted in evidence-based strategies, compassionate advocacy, and the fundamental belief that every older adult deserves exceptional mental health care.

The CCSMH has recently unveiled a comprehensive array of guidelines, each designed with specific objectives aimed at enhancing patient outcomes in older adults. In this edition, we will provide an overview of the CCSMH’s evidence-based clinical practice guidelines from the past five years, including the newly released 2024 guidelines.

2024 CCSMH Guidelines

  • Delirium Older Adults
    • Delirium can be triggered by various factors, such as infections, recent surgical procedures, initiation or escalation of specific medications, poor nutrition, or inadequate hydration. It is not uncommon for delirium to be mistaken for dementia or depression. Fortunately, delirium can frequently be avoided or managed effectively. The CCSMH has formulated evidence-based clinical guidelines to assist healthcare providers in caring for elderly individuals grappling with delirium.

  • Assessing and Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)
    • Providing care for residents and their mental health can be a complex task. The CCSMH has created best practice guidelines for assessing and managing behaviors in individuals with dementia. These guidelines are designed to assist healthcare professionals in effectively working with older adults in community care facilities.

  • Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults
    • These guidelines have been specifically crafted for healthcare and social service professionals. Their primary objective is to empower and assist clinicians in their interactions with older adults who may be vulnerable to, or currently experiencing, the adverse health effects of social isolation and loneliness. By following these guidelines, providers will be better equipped to identify, evaluate, and address isolation and loneliness in older adults. The comprehensive literature review has revealed that these clinical guidelines represent a pioneering effort on an international scale.
2021 CCSMH Guidelines
2019 CCSMH Guidelines
  • Alcohol Use Disorder Among Older Adults
    • CCSMH developed a best-practice clinical guidelines* on alcohol use disorder among older adults to support health care professionals provide their patients and clients with evidence-based information and best practices.

  • Cannabis Use Disorder Among Older Adults
    • The goal of our clinical guidelines is to provide guidance to clinicians on preventing the development of cannabis use disorder and optimally assessing and treating older adults who have developed such a disorder.

  • Opioid Use Disorder Among Older Adults
    • The purpose of these clinical guidelines is to highlight the issues facing older adults with, or at risk for, an Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), and to provide recommendations for the prevention, screening, assessment, and treatment of an OUD in adults 65 years and older.

We trust that you found these guidelines as fascinating as we did. Exploring international society guidelines can expand our comprehension of recommendations beyond our own, thus enhancing our knowledge base. Please inform us if there are any international societies you would like us to investigate and don’t forget to sign up for alerts and stay informed on the latest published guidelines and articles.

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