If you are in distress, please contact your nearest distress centre. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency department
With our growing seniors population, mental health problems and illnesses among older adults are likely to affect every family. If not addressed, the increasing pressure on the health-care system will have significant social and economic impacts.
To meet this challenge, community-based services and primary care providers have a vital role in helping people to stay mentally well and manage mental health problems and illnesses as they age.
Services and policies to support their care must also seek to reduce the overlapping stigmas they face: from being older and from living with a mental health problem or illness. Older people from the LGBTQ+ community and other backgrounds or cultures may encounter additional stigma.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has developed a range of projects to help policy makers, service providers, and caregivers ensure that older Canadians get the mental health supports they need.
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Health-system change The Mental Health Strategy for Canada identifies seniors mental health as an action priority and makes several recommendations for improvement. |
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Guidelines
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Mental Health First Aid MHFA Seniors is a course to increase the capacity of older adults and their families (informal caregivers), friends, care-setting staff, and communities to promote mental health. |
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Mental health promotion
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For more information, email us at aging@mentalhealthcommission.ca
The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has developed a range of projects to help policy makers, service providers, and caregivers ensure that older Canadians get the mental health supports they need.