Community bridge builder – a project offering hope to thousands of older people with mental health problems

Speaking at the launch Health Minister Edwin Poots said: “With a growing elderly population, research has identified that older people with mental health problems are an ever increasing group of people who are often isolated and marginalised from the local community. In Northern Ireland we have the fastest growing elderly population in the UK. Currently, over a quarter of a million men and women are of a pensionable age, which is nearly one in six of our population. By 2028 that will have increased to nearly one in five and by 2050 nearly one in four.” (NI Direct)

The Community Bridge Builder project, developed by mental health charity MindWise, will work directly with older people to develop their links with the community around them. Local ‘Community bridge-builders’ will help older people access opportunities to help with their learning, volunteering, improving their mental and physical health through sport and exercise and creative activities (music, drama or art).

• 40 percent of GP attendees, 50 percent of general hospital patients and 60 percent of care home residents are older people with mental health problems

• Two thirds of NHS beds are occupied by people age 65 or over, and up to two-thirds of these people already have or will develop mental health problems.

There are approximately 340,000 older people living in Northern Ireland, which equates to 19% of the population. This age group is continuing to rise rapidly. Statistics demonstrate that across the population one in five people are affected by mental health problems. This would indicate that there are approximately 68,000 older people living in Northern Ireland affected by some form of mental health problem, including the risk of depression which increases with age in later life

This project is designed to work in partnership to address the complex and unmet needs of older people living in the community who are affected by mental health problems through enabling them to establish new relationships, social opportunities and support networks within their community.

The project will address isolation and vulnerability by supporting engagement with the community and reinstating support structures and increasing the confidence of older people with mental health problems. It will also raise awareness in the community of the issues facing older people with mental health problems, supporting re-engagement.

Consultation on the project uncovered some tragic statistics:

• 77.8% of respondents felt isolated despite their involvement in current MindWise and other services

• 72.2% would like to have further support outside their current service provision including opportunities within the wider community

• Activities they would like to participate in included physical health (eg walking groups and gardening), creative work (eg writing and poetry) and the creative arts (eg painting and photography)

• Respondents would like to engage in these activities within their local community to enable them to feel part of local community life.

For further information on Reaching Out – Connecting Older peoples project contact [email protected] 

http://www.mindwisenv.org/index.php/MindWise/two-big-lottery-grants-announced-for-mindwise.html

 http://www.northernireland.gov.uk