Preventing Suicide in Older Adults

Course overview

As the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., suicide is a public health concern. Older adults account for 20% of all suicides, yet the risk is often overlooked in this population. Healthcare providers frequently fail to identify signs of suicide risk and underlying depression, which prevents them from making mental health diagnoses and referrals. In this course, you will learn how to screen older adults for depression and suicide. This course covers best practices in suicide risk assessment and safety plans. By knowing how to inquire about suicide and identify risk and protective factors, you will be able to determine and document your patient's risk level. The patient can then receive the appropriate level of care and referrals. The goal of this course is to provide skills to nursing and social work professionals in the acute care setting to identify, assess, and respond to suicide risk in older adults.