Mental-health issues among Alberta seniors on the rise since pandemic: advocate
Posted June 7, 2022 4:02 pm.
Last Updated June 7, 2022 4:06 pm.
A group dedicated to helping seniors who were victims of abuse says mental-health issues among Alberta’s seniors have been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council (AEAAC) says seniors were hard hit by the societal effects of the coronavirus.
“Many people lost their jobs, some of them had marriage breakdowns and other mental health or addiction issues come to the surface for them,” said Shantel Ottenbriet with the AEAAC.
“And those things we know are also things that put our older adults at an increased risk.”
Elder abuse is commonly underreported. Ottenbreit says it’s because people often don’t know how to help.
“Because oftentimes people feel like, ‘I don’t know how to handle that,’ or ‘I wouldn’t know what to do in that situation,’ or ‘I can’t solve this for them.’ It’s not about solving it. It’s just about knowing how to be supportive and how to be there for a person and get them to the appropriate resources and supports.”
The province is committing more than $6.3 million to help with senior mental health.
“We know the last few years have been very hard,” said Mike Ellis, associate minister of mental health and addictions. “For many seniors, the pandemic has meant isolation and the loss of community, which of course is not good for mental health.”
Of the new funds, $3.2 million will be dedicated to creating home-based personal, psychosocial and mental health supports for older adults.
Another $1.5 million will go towards training continuing care and home care staff to respond to mental-health problems; and $1 million will help increase connections between the health-care system and community addiction and mental-health supports.
Alberta seniors who need help can call 211 Alberta, or the Alberta Family Violence Line in situations where abuse may be occurring.
