Psychology for Seniors

thomas-hafeneth-244903-unsplash.jpg

MPS - BPS Australia is a Western Australian based practice that provides a range of services for people over the age of 50 and professionals involved in aged care.

With an ageing population, we believe that it is important to take the time to listen to the issues that are likely to face most Australians over the age of 50 at some stage in their lives. We want you to be confident that MPS - BPS is here to help you through these sometimes difficult times.

Another one of our objectives is to assist, support and educate aged-care professionals to improve the quality of life of senior residents, their carers and support staff.

We are located in Mandurah in Western Australia enabling us to cater to individuals, carers and facilities not only in the Perth Metropolitan area but also to the Peel and Southwest regions of Western Australia. Furthermore, MPS - BPS workshop and training services also cater to the Midwest region of Western Australia.

Our specialist team provides high quality psychotherapeutic counselling, assessments, training workshops and supervision opportunities and more. 27/05/2021 Please Note - Our Psychologists are unable to take MHCP or Private referrals at this time.

Career Transition

Our career and professional identity plays an important role in our selfconcept from the planning stages in school and university, through the blossoming stages at our peak, and all the way to retirement.

Sometimes we might lose sight of what our professional identity is, and how it ties in with our concept of ourselves as a whole person.

At other times, we may feel that our professional worth is questioned due to our age, sex, education, background and experience.

These can be difficult situations to deal with. It is important to understand how this might be affecting our well being and the well being of our families.

Retirement

Retirement is a point in our lives that we are likely to reach at some point. It is a major change in our lives. We might be faced by a wave of questions that cause us to fear the retirement phase of our life:

  • Will I be able to sustain myself financially?

  • Will my children have the capacity to help me?

  • What will I do with my time?

  • Who will take care of me?

  • Am I a burden on my loved ones?

  • If I leave my job, will I feel lost?

These questions are normal to ask ourselves upon the onset of the retirement phase. It is important to discuss these concerns that we might have to ensure that they do not affect our overall well being

Age-related Illness

As we get a little older, we might experience an age-related illness, which we know little about, leading to worry and anxiety.
Age-related illness includes, but is not limited to:

Alzheimer’s

Arthritis

Cancer

Cardiovascular disease

Dementia

Depression

Diabetes

Hearing loss

Incontinence

Osteoporosis

Carers

There comes a time when we might have to look after one of our loved ones, because they are unable to. This can be by choice, or at times, because there simply is no other help available. Caring for others can put major strain on us, and at times is likely to feel like another job on top of our usual work.

Being responsible for caring for another person can be really hard on us, and restrain us from having down time, alone time or just time to relax.

For more information on this condition you can visit

www.carersaustralia.com.au2

Grief and Loss

As time goes on, it becomes more and more likely that we will lose people close to us, perhaps because of old age, illness or unfortunate circumstances. This can be a difficult time for us, and cause sorrow and sadness for prolonged periods of time. The experience of loss and grief is experienced differently by each individual. Grieving is a natural process and it is important to acknowledge our emotions and feelings at these times.

For more information on this condition you can visit www.grief.org.au

Nursing Homes and Residential Care

For some, there may come a time when we need to consider going into a nursing home, residential care facilities or a hostel. This can either be a choice made by the individual going into the home, or sometimes by the adult children which can no longer support their elderly parents living at home.

This can cause the experience of intense emotions for those going into the home, as they feel that they have lost control, or cannot look after themselves, or just fear of the unknown. Further complications can make this move even more difficult when a life partner remains on the outside.

For adult children, this is also often a difficult time, as they might feel that they are abandoning their loved ones to a home, or aren’t fulfilling their responsibility to their family.

For more information on this condition you can visit
www.agedcarer.com.au/topic/aged-care-tips/nursing-home-care/coping-with-
move-residential-care