Improving services and support for older people with mental health ...

Improving services and support for older people with mental health problems
Every member of society will be affected in some way. Government will find it difficult,
if not impossible, to carry out policy commitments and meet key targets. At a time
when the Government is recognising society’s increasing reliance on older people’s
contributions and aiming to make the most of them, 9 the neglect of older people’s
mental health needs represents a waste of human potential that we simply cannot
afford. When the Government is encouraging charities to take a more active role in
the design and delivery of public services, 10 we cannot ignore the mental health of
older people, who make up 74 per cent of the volunteer workforce in health and social
services, 11 the main areas where voluntary organisations are involved. If we continue to
waste the opportunities presented to us by the growing numbers of older people, we
will store up problems for the future and our financial and human resources will come
under serious strain.
The good news is that mental health problems are not an inevitable part of ageing.
Many older people with mental health problems who receive appropriate support
are able to lead productive and fulfilling lives. We need to prevent or delay the onset,
recurrence and worsening of mental health problems in later life to ensure older people
and carers are able to contribute fully to society.
However, there is no time to waste. The scale of the problem is huge and current
provision of services and support is insufficient to meet current and future needs.
There is little sign of adequate planning for the future, especially for people growing
older with severe and enduring mental health problems. Services are fragmented
or non-existent for many. Age discrimination in mental health persists. Progress is
hampered by the defeatist assumption that mental health problems are a normal part
of growing older and that there is no effective treatment. Workers feel overwhelmed
and unsupported. Unpaid carers are particularly stressed. Responsibility for the issue
is blurred, with confusion about leadership at every level.
1.2 Call to action
The Inquiry’s vision is of a society where the needs of older people with mental health
problems, and the needs of their carers, are understood, taken seriously, given their
fair share of attention and resources, and met in a way that enables them to lead full
and meaningful lives. The Inquiry believes that this can be achieved, and that this
achievement will benefit society as a whole.
We need a radical shift to produce decisive action and measurable improvement in the
lives of older people and their carers. Action requires creativity, imagination and will.
This shift is starting to happen in some places and we know that change is possible.
1.3 Evidence in this report
This report draws on a wide range of evidence including:
n A comprehensive literature and policy review commissioned by the Inquiry; 12
n
Evidence from older people and carers – gathered from a fieldwork study
commissioned by the Inquiry which included interviews with more than
200 older people in four sites across the UK, questionnaire responses and
additional scoping of published and unpublished research; 13
14