Improving the Mental Health of Seniors

New partnerships with community organizations will focus on helping seniors improve their mental health. Supports will help older adults get the help they need before acute intervention is necessary. The investment is another step forward in building a comprehensive recovery-oriented system of care that helps everyone get the support they need, when they need it.

More than $6.3 million has been committed to support four organizations to deliver mental health and addiction initiatives targeted to older Albertans, including:

• $3.2 million to the United Way Calgary and Area for the Healthy Aging Alberta Initiative for home-based personal, psychosocial and mental health supports to older adults.
• $1.5 million to the Imagine Institute for Learning to support the delivery of Mental Health First Aid Supporting Older Adults training, which will focus on training continuing care, home care and seniors lodge staff to respond effectively to emerging mental health problems or crisis among older adults.
• $1 million to the carya Society of Calgary for a social prescribing initiative, which will increase connections between the health care system and community addiction and mental health supports.
• $650,000 to the Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council for service navigators for seniors, which will help seniors and their caregivers navigate and access addiction and mental health supports.

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