The ACT Government today released a new strategy to improve the mental health and wellbeing of older Canberrans.
Over the next five years, the Re-envisioning Older Persons Mental Health and Wellbeing in the ACT Strategy 2022-2026 will build a more inclusive city that helps people live well and stay connected as they age, Emma Davidson, ACT Minister for Mental Health, said.
“Better access to quality mental health support for our ageing population means they can live healthier lives as active members of our community. It means more time for stronger relationships and to share their knowledge and experiences,” Ms Davidson said.
The Mental Health Community Coalition ACT (MHCC ACT) sees some promise in this strategy, but believes it falls short of creating much-needed change for Canberra’s older citizens.
According to the 2021 Census, there were 62,167 people aged 65 or older in the ACT (13.7 of the ACT’s population). Life expectancy in the ACT (2020) was 82.1 years for men and 85.9 years for women, compared with 81.2 for men and 85.3 for women.
“Canberra has one of the highest standards of health and wellbeing for older people across the country,” Ms Davidson said, “yet many still experience poor mental health due to changes in lifestyle following retirement, increased susceptibility to chronic conditions, and the social and emotional challenges that are, at times, associated with ageing.”
Nationally, 8.7 per cent of people over 65 had a mental disorder, according to the 2020–21 ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing. In the ACT, approximately 6.5 per cent of public mental health inpatients are older than 65.
“An environment that allows older people to live active, productive, and mentally healthy lives is critical to support healthy ageing. This strategy will strengthen collaboration across sectors to improve responses and support services that promote mental health of older persons.”
The strategy proposes 25 actions across three priority areas to respond to the needs of older Canberrans requiring mental health care:
• Build mentally healthy communities for all older Canberrans
• Enhance the lives and experiences of older Canberrans with mental illness
• Improve structural and system capacity
In the first two years of the strategy, the ACT Government will research and scope how to prevent suicide, homelessness, and increase access to culturally sensitive services. The government will work with service providers and community organisations.
Nationally, 16.4 per cent of the suicide deaths in 2020 were people 65 or older (516 of 3,139 deaths).
Nationally, only 3.6 per cent of homelessness clients (8,420 people) were 65 or older in 2020–21. These people had lower rates of mental health issues, implying that economic or social factors had made them homeless.
Approximately 41 per cent of ACT residents over 65 were not born in Australia, according to the 2021 Census.
Implementation of the strategy will be reviewed after the first two years to assess progress and determine priorities for the final three years. The strategy complements the Age Friendly City Plan 2020-2024.
“The ACT Government’s long-anticipated strategy for older persons’ mental health and wellbeing has a lot of promise, but lacks significant commitment to meaningful change,” Corinne Dobson, acting CEO of MHCC ACT, said.
“The mental health and wellbeing of older people has long been neglected by governments, and this strategy is an essential first step toward improving the mental health of senior Canberrans,” acting CEO Corinne Dobson said.
“However, it is a smaller step than we had hoped. The strategy provides a vision for improved mental health in our older citizens, but lacks the necessary substance and actions to make a meaningful difference.”
Research has demonstrated that mental health services for older persons in the ACT are significantly under-resourced and markedly less developed than for other age groups, Ms Dobson noted.
The recent ACT Government Budget, released earlier this month, provided no additional funding for mental health and wellbeing programs or services for older Canberrans, in MHCC ACT’s view.
“There are considerable gaps in the programs, supports, and services available for older Canberrans. The lack of community-managed mental health services in the ACT is particularly pronounced,” Ms Dobson said.
“We were pleased to see a focus on the social determinants of mental health, and commend the holistic view expressed by the Minister for Mental Health when tabling the strategy.”
However, although there is a wealth of existing research on the impacts and drivers of issues like homelessness and family violence, Ms Dobson thought the strategy commits to re-exploring them, instead of implementing policies and programs to address these pernicious issues.
“Even the elements of the strategy that commit to a process for designing programs and services for older persons’ mental health are not due to start for years,” Ms Dobson said.
She was, however, pleased to see the strategy focus on engaging carers in mental health programs and service development, and identify opportunities for developing their advocacy skills.
“Carers are integral to the mental health sector and deserve to have their dedication acknowledged and rewarded,” Ms Dobson said.
“We look forward to working with the ACT Government to address the service gaps and to ensure the mental health needs of older people in the ACT are addressed.”
