More improvement needed in English mental health provision for the elderly

Citation

(2002), "More improvement needed in English mental health provision for the elderly", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2002.06215dab.004

More improvement needed in English mental health provision for the elderly

More improvement needed in English mental health provision for the elderlyKeywords: Audits of mental health services, Vulnerable people

According to an Audit Commission update report in February 2002, much more needs to be done to improve mental health services for older people in the UK. The report, Forget Me Not 2002 is a follow-up to Forget Me Not, a report published in January 2000, which looked at mental health provision for older people. Since then, auditors appointed by the Commission have been carrying out local audits of these services. The key finding is that mental health practice and provision for older people across the country are inconsistent. Many areas still have a lot to do to meet the requirements of the National Service Framework.

Forget Me Not 2002 does not measure changes in mental health services over time, but the update produces evidence which reinforces the findings of the original report:

1. 1.

   Some areas are providing good mental health services for older people, but many are not.

2. 2.

   Many GPs and primary care staff need more support, but specialist help and training for them are often limited.

3. 3.

   Carers need good information but, while many are told what is wrong with their relative or friend, only a quarter of the areas at which auditors looked provide good written information about local services.

4. 4.

   Specialist services need strengthening with:

5. 5.
   • •

     specialist mental health teams for older people;

   • •

     comprehensive day services;

   • •

     respite care for carers; and

   • •

     specialist residential and nursing homes.

6. 6.

   Health and social care agencies need to work together. They need to jointly agree assessment and care management procedures with compatible systems and good integrated planning arrangements.

The Audit Commission would like to see primary care trusts, local authorities and trusts providing mental health services work together to strengthen and improve services for some of the most vulnerable people in society. It makes a number of recommendations about this:

• •

  Local mental health professionals need to offer more guidance, training and support to GPs and primary care staff in the management of dementia and depression.

• •

  Agencies need to strengthen arrangements for giving information to service users and their carers.

• •

  Agencies must develop a range of specialist services which are acceptable and appropriate for their areas, including specialist teams, day care, respite care and residential care.

• •

  Agencies must develop effective information sharing and compatible IT systems.

• •

  Agencies need to develop joint plans for commissioning and delivering integrated services involving key partners.

Sir Andrew Foster, Controller of the Audit Commission, said: "In our later years, many of us are vulnerable to mental health problems such as Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. It is at this point that we need lots of support and good quality care. However, our update shows clearly that this is not happening everywhere.

"Things need to change, and that change needs to happen quickly. People over 85 are the fastest growing age group in the country, so demands on mental health services from older people are not going to let up. Mental health providers have a duty to meet the requirements of the National Service Framework for Older People. We hope that our update will help them to meet those requirements successfully."