Conclusion
As you have seen support and care for older people with mental health problems is provided by a range of agencies and providers.
Key agencies are the NHS and Social Services Departments. Whilst these agencies do directly provide services such as home care, and hospital care, they also commission services from the independent sector e.g. respite care services from a private care home, day care from a voluntary sector organisation such as Age Concern.
Most support for carers is provided by the voluntary sector, including: the Alzheimer’s Society and Carers UK. There are also many local carers groups and agencies.
Many people with dementia have multiple needs and may receive support from both health and social care agencies. In practice most care is delivered by an individual care worker.
Concerns about unevenness in the extent and nature of service provision, a mixed level of commitment to integration, concerns about service quality and variation in who pays for care are issues which impact on the development and delivery of services for older people with mental health problems and their carers.
This completes your study of this learning object. We hope that through your study of this learning object you have an increased understanding of the services that may be available to older people with mental health problems.
If there are any sections of the learning object you have not explored yet, you might wish to have a look at these sections now. If there is anything that did not seem clear, you might also find it helpful to return to that section and repeat the activity – sometimes things make more sense the second or even third time around! We have also included a self-assesment section, where you can test your understanding of some of the key facts and messages in this learning object.