Older people losing out again

This story on the BBC website highlights problems with mental health services for the over 65s. Mental health services are stretched at the best of times so it doesn't seem a surprise that older people are losing out. But even if mental health services were great and under subscribed, would people over 65 be referred to these services if they were needed? The report highlights that not necessarily, as one key reason why older people don't get the mental health support they needed is because of attitudes to older people.

I worked for a very short period of time in an old people's home. One of the residents would sit in the dining hall mournfully crying "Let me Die, Let me die" over and over again. Although everyone at the home were professional and caring they responded to this gentleman as if it was inevitable that he should feel like this and that there wasn't much that could be done for him. It was a shame and he was helped as far as was possible but I wasn't aware of any specialist mental health support. For some of the younger care assistants it seemed they thought that it was natural that you would want to die if you were his age.

I can only see things changing for the better though, as my parents generation who grew up in the 60s, reach their 60s they will be far more demanding of services and their rights. But will the younger generation have any more respect for older people?