WHO: Address the mental health needs of older people
The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is important for health providers to meet the specific needs of the older population.
It listed:
1) training for health professionals in providing care for older people;
2) preventing and managing age-associated chronic diseases including mental, neurological and substance use disorders;
3) designing sustainable policies on long-term and palliative care; and
4) developing age-friendly services and settings, as issues to be addressed to properly address mental health of the elderly.
Health promotion
The mental health of older adults, it said, can be improved through promoting active and healthy ageing. Mental health-specific health promotion for older adults involves creating living conditions and environments that support well-being and allow people to lead a healthy life. Promoting mental health, said the WHO, depends largely on strategies to ensure that older people have the necessary resources to meet their needs, such as:
* providing security and freedom;
* adequate housing through supportive housing policy;
* social support for older people and their caregivers;
* health and social programmes targeted at vulnerable groups such as those who live alone and rural populations or who suffer from a chronic or relapsing mental or physical illness;
* programmes to prevent and deal with elder abuse; and
* community development programmes.
Interventions
Prompt recognition and treatment of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in older adults is essential. Both psychosocial interventions and medicines are recommended, according to the WHO.
It said: There is no medication currently available to cure dementia, but much can be done to support and improve the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers and families, such as:
a) early diagnosis, in order to promote early and optimal management;
b) optimising physical and mental health, functional ability and well-being;
c) identifying and treating accompanying physical illness;
d) detecting and managing challenging behaviour; and
e) providing information and long-term support to carers.
Mental health care in the community
Good general health and social care are important for promoting older people’s health, preventing disease and managing chronic illnesses. Training all health providers in working with issues and disorders related to ageing is therefore important. Effective, community-level primary mental health care for older people is crucial. It is equally important to focus on the long-term care of older adults suffering from mental disorders, as well as to provide caregivers with education, training, and support.
An appropriate and supportive legislative environment based on internationally accepted human rights standards is required to ensure the highest quality of services to people with mental illness and their caregivers.
WHO response
WHO supports governments in the goal of strengthening and promoting mental health in older adults and to integrate effective strategies into policies and plans. The global strategy and action plan on ageing and health was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2016. One of the objectives of this global strategy is to align the health systems to the needs of older populations, for mental as well as physical health.
Key actions include:
• orienting health systems around intrinsic capacity and functional ability;
• developing and ensuring affordable access to quality older person-centred and integrated clinical care; and
• ensuring a sustainable and appropriately trained, deployed, and managed health workforce.
The Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan for 2013-2020 is a commitment by all WHO member states to take specific actions to promote mental well-being, prevent mental disorders, provide care, enhance recovery, promote human rights and reduce the mortality, morbidity and disability for indiviudals with mental disorders, including in older adults.
It focuses on four key objectives to:
* strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health;
* provide comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings;
• implement strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health; and
• stengthen information systems, evidence and research for mental health.
Depression, psychoses, suicide, epilepsy, dementia and substance use disorders are included in the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) that aims to improve care for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders through providing guidance and tools to develop health services in resource-poor areas. The mhGAP package consists of interventions for prevention and management for each of these priority conditions in non-specialised health settings, including in those for older people.
WHO recognises dementia as a public health challenge and published the report, ‘Dementia: A public health priority’, to advocate for action at international and national levels. WHO organised the First Ministerial Conference on Global Action Against Dementia in March 2015, which fostered awareness of the public health and economic challenges posed by dementia, a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of member states and stakeholders, and led to a ‘Call for Action’ supported by the conference participants.
In May 2017 the World Health Assembly endorsed the global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025. The plan provides a comprehensive blueprint for action — for policymakers, international, regional and national partners, and the WHO — in areas such as increasing awareness of dementia and establishing dementia-friendly initiatives; reducing the risk of dementia; diagnosis, treatment, and care; research and innovation; and support for dementia carers.
It aims to improve the lives of people with dementia, their carers and families, while decreasing the impact of dementia on individuals, communities and countries. As part of the efforts to operationalise the plan, an international surveillance platform, the Global Dementia Observatory, has been established for policymakers and researchers to facilitate monitoring and sharing of information on dementia policies, service delivery, epidemiology, and research.
It is important to prepare health providers and societies to meet the specific needs of older populations, including:
* training for health professionals in providing care for older people;
* preventing and managing age-associated chronic diseases including mental, neurological and substance use disorders;
* designing sustainable policies on long-term and palliative care; and
* developing age-friendly services and settings.