Report find major deficiency in the number of acute mental health beds for older patients

In a recent report, the Mental Health Commission has revealed a major deficiency in the number of acute beds for older-age patients. Although, we acknowledge that the current provision of public acute adult mental health beds in Ireland is broadly in line with recommendations from the strategic policy document ‘A Vision for Change’, the issue is the access to these beds. Access is still be impeded by a lack of specialist resources, and this is both ‘insufficient’ and ‘inadequate’. 

14 years after ‘A Vision for Change’, when the current provision of beds is compared with recommendations, it is still clear that resources are not being provided and deficits are still not been addressed. 

One of the biggest issues is the significant impact of prolonged stays in acute mental health units on access to acute mental health beds. And for this reason, regardless of the total number of registered public acute mental health beds for adults, there are serious concerns about the access and availability of current mental health bed provision. 

The provision of acute mental health beds for older adults in Ireland is also severely deficient. The availability of 56 older-age adult beds were identified in Ireland; a provision which is less than half of the 127 beds envisioned by ‘A Vision for Change’. The lack of acute beds for older-age patients is particularly pertinent when the frequency with which mental illness is reported in this age group is considered, and the fact that one fifth of the Irish population is comprised of individuals aged 65 and over. In addition, not one of the nine Community Healthcare Organisations (CHO) was meeting the recommended number of dedicated older-age adult acute mental health beds and three purpose built acute units for older adults are currently being used for other purposes.  

“Data from the inpatient census that forms part of the MHC report highlights that there were many older-age adults residing in non-specific general adult wards,” said the Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly. “However, the care and support required for the recovery of, for instance, an 80-year-old is substantially different to that of an 18-year-old. The use of non-age appropriate placements has the potential to create unsafe environments.” 

It is critical that the long-term political and social commitment is provided, to ensure the development of a comprehensive range of community and specialist continuum-of-care services which are able to support individuals before, during and after admission to acute mental health beds.  

Mr Farrelly also adds. “It is clear that regardless of the number of registered acute adult mental health beds in Ireland, unless action is taken to address the identified factors preventing access to these beds, thereby ensuring a fluent and sustainable mental health system, the current access difficulties will persist and increase.  It is only through this action can we hope to achieve a more integrated, person-centred and recovery-oriented model of care in this country.” 

To read our full statement click here.

To read our full report, click here.