$300,000 for a Prevention Program for Seniors
In November 2007, the Mental Illness Foundation presented a brief to Marguerite Blais, Minister responsible for Seniors, during the public consultations on the living conditions of seniors. In the brief, the Foundation particularly emphasized on:
- the taboos and prejudices surrounding mental illness in general;
- the lack of knowledge about the symptoms of mental illness, especially among seniors;
- the rate of depression among seniors, which seems to be much higher than the number of officially diagnosed cases;
- the fears of specialists concerning the startling increase in the number of suicides;
- the fact that suicide among seniors is considered a normal phenomenon in the aging process.
Among other things, the Foundation recommended that:
- large-scale awareness-raising campaigns be organized targeting various publics;
- specialized, continuous, and easily available training be offered to the various people working with seniors;
- screening and prevention of mental illness become a priority for the ministry;
- suicide prevention among seniors be at the heart of constant vigilance, both on the part of government authorities and health professionals, as well as the general public, friends and seniors’ immediate social network.
Some months later, representatives from the Foundation submitted a request to the Minister for a grant to finance the development of a mental illness prevention program for seniors, their caregivers, as well as care providers working with them.
Our request was heard. At the launch of our fundraising campaign, Deputy Minister Sylvie Barcelo officially presented a cheque for $300,000 to carry out the project.
Based on the experience acquired with its Partners for Life and Nothing’s Working? programs, the Foundation is already working on introducing this new program designed especially for seniors and their caregivers.