Achieving age equality for people of all ages is important,
however , a number of recent of reports and reviews have shown that it is
older people who have been most discriminated against in many areas and in mental health in particular.
The Age Equality in Later life Programme
has evolved from the Mental health
in later life programme that originated in the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE). Our work continues to support the development of services
for older people who use mental health services in England. We offer
evidence-based support to help local organisations and communities implement
policy and promote innovation. We work with organisations specialising in health
(including prison health), social care and other areas of local government, and
we seek to foster collaboration between public, voluntary and independent
sectors.
October 2010 -Ending age discrimination in health and social care
Equity and excellence; liberating the NHS sets out the Government's
commitment
to end age discrimination in health and social care in 2012. A resource
pack to support local authorities and NHS organisations prepare for the
legislation has been prepared by health and care organisations in the
South West. www.southwest.nhs.uk/age-equality.html
Achieving Age Equality throughout society is a moral,
financial and legal imperative. The Equality Act (April 2010), combined with emerging
mental health policy which covers people of all ages, makes
this even more relevant.
Age discrimination
Defintions
Age Discrimination is an unjustifiable difference in
treatment based
solely on age.
- Age discrimination may be direct or
indirect in
form.
- Direct age discrimination occurs
when a direct
difference in treatment based on age cannot be justified. An older
person with
bi‐polar disorder who is excluded from a day centre at age 65 because
‘it's
not for pensioners', would be an example of direct age discrimination.
Direct
age discrimination will occur if people with comparable needs are
treated
differently,purely on the basis of their age.
- Indirect discrimination occurs
when a seemingly
neutral provision, measure or practice has harmful repercussions on a
person.)
For example, poor quality dementia services, equally applied to the
whole
community will indirectly discriminate against older people who are the
predominant users of these services. Indirect age discrimination will
occur if
people from different age groups, with different needs, are
treated in the
same way, with the result that the needs of the older person are not
fully met.
- Institutional practices and policies that
perpetuate stereotypes about
older people (E.g. services that exclude older people once they reach 65
NSF
MH) There are structural issues about service configuration there is
dilemma
and debate around nominally eliminating an age barrier to services but
not
addressing different needs of some older people , particularly the old
old.
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We are working to Promote Age Equality in Mental
Health via a number of work programmes to promote better recognition and diagnosis of mental health issues in later life, better access for
older people and age appropriate
services based on need
Contacting the programme
National Programme Lead: Polly Kaiser polly.kaiser @ nmhdu.org.uk
Programme Administrator: Elaine Collins elaine.collins @ nmhdu.org.uk
EHRC Formal Inquiry into Homecare
Do you or someone you know receive homecare? Are you a carer?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission want to know your views on the quality of care delivered to older people (aged 65 and over) in the home (the good and the bad) in relation to human rights.
They have compiled a short list of questions to help you feedback to them which should take no longer than fifteen minutes to answer.
The Commission's formal Inquiry launches on the 10th November and evidence gathering will run until 4th February 2011.
Download the call for evidence and terms of reference on their website here.
Age Equality and Later Life - Reports
Healthcare Commission Equality in later life
A national study of older people’s mental health services. july 2009
This showed that older people are being denied access to
the full range of mental health services that are available to younger adults.
In particular, they found that there was poor access to out-of-hours and crisis
services, psychological therapies and alcohol services.
Download
Age discrimination in mental health services: making equality a reality
Royal College of Psychiatrists’ position statement PS2/2009
Download
Achieving Age
Equality in health and social care A report to the Secretary of State for Health by Sir Ian Carruthers OBE and Jan Ormondroyd October 2009
Download
All things being equal – Mental Health Foundation 2009
The All things being equal report says that mental health and social
care services are in need of a major shake up to care for the growing
numbers of older people with mental ill health, and cope with the
demanding nature of the baby boomer generation.
Download
AGE EQUALITY:WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OLDER PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES?
Guidance Note for Everybody’s Business:Integrated mental health services for older adults: a service development guide
Download
Cost-effectiveness analysis and ageism: a review of the theoretical literature. Leeds Institute for Health Sciences 2008
Download
A literature review of the likely costs and benefits of legislation to prohibit age discrimination in health, social care and mental health services and definitions of age discrimination that might be operationalised for measurement.
Carried out by the Centre for Policy on Ageing on behalf of the Department of Health. December 2007
Download
Ageism and age discrimination in mental health care in the UK. A review of the literature. Commissioned by the Department of Health and carried out by the Centre for Policy on Ageing.
October 2009
Download