HoNOS 65+ (Older Adults)

Background Copyright HoNOS 65+ training HIG65+ glossary References HIG65+ implementation group Contact us

Background

These are 12 scales that are used to rate older adult mental health service users. Together, they rate various aspects of mental and social health, each on a scale of 0-4. They are designed to be used by clinicians before and after interventions, so that changes attributable to the interventions (outcomes) can be measured. The scales are as follows:

• Behavioural disturbance
• Non-accidental self injury
• Problem drinking or drug use
• Cognitive problems
• Problems related to physical illness or disability
• Problems associated with hallucinations and/or delusions or false beliefs
• Problems associated with depressive symptoms
• Other mental and behavioural problems
• Problems with social or supportive relationships
• Problems with activities of daily living
• Overall problems with living conditions
• Problems with work and leisure activities - quality of day time environment

Each scale is rated as follows

0.  No problem

1.  Minor problem that is non-clinical: i.e. would not normally lead to intervention

2.  Mild problem (that would justify intervention

3.  Moderate problem

4.  Severe problem

HoNOS65+ Training Options & Costs

The arrangement of training for HoNOS65+ reflects the different needs of organisations and individuals as much as possible. These are affected by previous training experiences (e.g. in HoNOS for working-age adults), the degree of management support, the level of interest in implementing routine clinical outcomes at a local level, and the likelihood of such implementation. It is constrained by the fact that clinicians that carry out the training have to be released from their duties in order to do it, as well as the impact of spending free time away from home.

Raters

• Training for individuals: this can be arranged at sessions in South London for groups of up to 6 raters who would join local raters new to HoNOS65+. These occur in August and February to coincide with the arrival of new junior doctors. The cost is £10 per head for refreshments & materials. Some elements of the training will not be relevant to most other organisations (e.g. intervention coding).
• Training for groups of raters: this can be arranged wherever you wish. 1 trainer will train up to 30 staff in a single day of training at a cost of £600 plus expenses. At present HoNOS65+ trainers come from the South East so overnight accommodation prior to the training day may be required in other parts of the UK.

Potential Trainers who must satisfy these criteria:

• have been trained in HoNOS65+ as raters (or HoNOS)
• have carried out HoNOS65+ ratings regularly for at least 3 months and have carried out at least 20 ratings

1. Individual potential trainers can attend a day in South London at which local trainers are being trained. Up to 3 trainers can be accommodated but only on certain dates. The cost is £60 per head including refreshments, training video, CDROM and presentation material.

2. Training for groups of potential trainers: this can be arranged wherever you wish. A single trainer will train up to 15 potential trainers in a single day of training at a cost of £1200 plus expenses. At present HoNOS65+ trainers come from the South East so overnight accommodation prior to the training day will be required in other parts of the UK. The cost includes training video, CDROM and presentation material.

Intensive training days for organisations who wish to train trainers from scratch in one day are no longer available.

Please note that part of the training for trainers now involves an assessment of the potential trainer's knowledge of HoNOS65+, and that only potential trainers who achieve a basic competence will be approved as trainers. We invite all accredited trainers to join a virtual community for help and mutual advice.

Contact us

For further details please contact Professor Alastair Macdonald on alastair.macdonald@iop.kcl.ac.uk.