The current levels of investment in older people’s mental health and wellbeing in Wales are not meeting needs says Age Cymru in its response to the Welsh Government’s Draft Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy and Draft Suicide and Self-harm Prevention Strategy 2024-34 consultations.

The charity is calling for a clearer focus on older people’s mental health backed by adequate and sustainable funding not only for specific statutory and third sector mental health support but also for services that underpin a good quality of life for older people such as the availability of public transport, access to social care, and support for older carers.

Age Cymru’s head of policy Heather Ferguson said: “We need to understand why older people aren’t accessing the help they need when they need it.

“We very much welcome the identification of older people as a group requiring specific support to protect their mental health and wellbeing in these consultations and we hope it will shine an overdue spotlight on older people’s mental health needs in Wales.

“Older adult mental health support has been overlooked for many years, and we know that older people can face multiple barriers to gaining the support they might need.

“As we age factors impacting on poor mental health increase. For example, the longer people live the more likely they are to experience the loss of family and friends, become more socially isolated and lonely, become targeted by abusers and criminal fraudsters, and take on difficult caring responsibilities,” she added.

The charity is also calling on the Welsh Government to support the combatting of societal ageist attitudes around mental health, that assume that poor mental health is simply a part of ageing.

These stereotypes can lead to a lack of focus on mental health services for older people and can also prevent people from reaching out for help when they need it.

Key facts:

• 22% of men and 28% of women over 65 live with depression

• 30% of older carers experience depression at some point

• Older people experiencing bereavement are four times more likely to develop depression

• 40% of older people living in care homes live with depression.

For more information on services that could support older adult mental wellbeing call Age Cymru Advice on 0300 303 44 98 Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm, email [email protected] or visit www.agecymru.org.uk/advice.