Faith in Older People wanted to understand the situation for people as they aged in relation to an enduring mental health challenge, and we worked with Voluntary Health Scotland and Support in Mind in 2019 to consider the evidence to raise awareness of the issues and to try to improve policy and practice. With a range of organisations from the third and public sectors we held two roundtable discussions and undertook a scoping exercise to see what happens to people with mental health conditions other than or alongside dementia once they become 65. Issues we have been exploring include under-diagnosis, under-provision, poor transitions from ‘adult’ services to ‘older people’ services, discrimination and flouting of human rights. It is said that for some people with serious mental health issues, their 65th birthday is like ‘falling off a cliff’ in terms of service provision.
If this was the situation for older people what would be the impact of supporting individuals within a faith community,
As Sanctuary Mental Health (UK – Sanctuary Ministries – Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries) points out one in four people will be affected by a mental health challenge at some point in their lives, yet the stigma surrounding these experiences often prevents faith communities from responding compassionately and effectively. FiOP wants to work with others to raise awareness; reduce stigma and engage communities in meaningful conversations about mental health and faith. See Archbishop Welby’s vimeo The Sanctuary Course: Supporting Mental Health in UK Churches on Vimeo