Media Release

6 October 2008

Mental Health and Addiction of Older People and Dementia Project

The Ministry of Health has commenced a project that will develop guidance to inform how district health boards (DHBs) provide services for people with dementia and people aged over 65 who are affected by mental health and addiction problems. The guidance will also inform how DHBs provide services to meet the needs of people who age with disabilities and other conditions who develop symptoms of dementia or mental health or addiction problems. The guidance is expected to be completed by the end of June 2009.

Developing this guidance will involve several phases. All phases will involve collaborating with DHBs, NGOs and other key stakeholders, including service user and family/whānau representatives.

Key phases will involve:

• defining the groups of people whose needs may not be being adequately or appropriately met
• identifying the services that DHBs currently provide for people in the defined groups and considering how these services are provided,
• establishing an external reference group that represents perspectives of key stakeholders nominated from across the mental health, addictions, older people, disability and chronic conditions sectors
• investigating and defining how the needs of people in the defined groups could be better met in the context of an ageing population, and
• providing DHBs with guidance on how to better meet the needs of people in the defined groups.

For further information, please contact Luz Baguioro, 04 496 2349