Lack of NHS talking therapies failing older people with mental health issues, Age UK

By The Press Association12th October 2016News EnglandDepression, Loneliness, Mental Health, News England, NHS, Older People

Older people with mental health problems are seen as “second class citizens”, a charity has said.

The NHS in England is “failing”older patients with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, according to a new report from Age UK.

The charity said that not enough older people with common problems are being referred for talking therapy.

Health officials set a target that 12% of referrals to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme should be for people aged 65 and over.

But a new report from the charity suggests that only around 6% of referrals are for older people.

The charity has estimated that it will take 15 years for the 12% target to be met.

And a survey conducted on local health bodies found that just three had set specific targets around increasing the proportion of older people accessing IAPT.

Age UK estimates that there are around three million people over the age of 60 living with depression in the UK.

It said that older people usually respond extremely well to talking therapies as it called on the NHS to to make sure plans are in place across the country to improve the access to such treatments.

“Unfortunately our research makes it hard to avoid the conclusion that older people are routinely seen as ‘second class citizens’ by our mental health services, with many denied access to the best and most effective treatment if they are coping with depression, even though the evidence shows they often do really well on it if given the chance,” said Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK.

“This is extraordinary and frankly it is also completely unacceptable in the 21sr century. We understand the acute pressures on mental health services but they do not justify what look to us like engrained, systemic failings so far as older people are concerned.

“Whatever the underlying reasons for such poor performance – and some will say it is ageism, no more, no less – it is certainly time for our mental health services to up their game when it comes to helping older people, and we look to NHS England to provide the strongest possible lead.”

Davina Ludlow, director of care home review website carehome.co.uk, said: “It is tragic that older people have become practically invisible in today’s society. Why should age exclude people from getting vital treatment for debilitating illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

“We urge the NHS and mental health trusts to treat people over 65 in the same way as other members of society – with the same healthcare entitlements as the rest of us.”

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “For older people living with depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions, psychological therapies can really help with the management of a range of conditions – and four million people have already benefited from them.

“We are committed to going further, which is why we have introduced the first ever mental health waiting time targets to bear down on the unacceptable lengths of time it takes for people to get the treatment they need and are boosting funding to enable 600,000 more adults a year to receive care by 2020.”