Aging, emotional well-being, and mental health
Aging is a natural part of the life cycle, but it is not always addressed with a holistic, dignified, and intersectional perspective . Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of resources for older adults to access the support they need. This stage of life requires recognizing that older adults have the right to pursue life projects, to have meaningful relationships, and to receive support that respects their history and needs.
This community-based approach is key to promoting emotional well-being and ensuring dignified and healthy aging processes with a rights-based perspective.
Aging with a holistic perspective
Individualized care plans based on personal abilities and preferences should be adapted to each person's life history and resources, and focused on promoting emotional well-being through active participation and the development of a meaningful life project.
Providing care for older adults with mental health problems also requires a broader approach that goes beyond the clinical setting. It is necessary to integrate the social and healthcare aspects and facilitate a person-centered care model.
Diversity in the ways of aging must be based on the strengths of older people, but also on situations of social and health vulnerability. In this regard, the following are crucial:
- The work of prevention programs.
- Addressing phenomena such as unwanted loneliness.
- Promoting protective factors in mental health.
- The fight against stigma and ageism.
Guide to care and self-care in aging and mental health
Salut Mental Catalunya (SMC), in Spain, in collaboration with the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Barcelona, has published the guide Aging, emotional well-being and mental health: Guide for care and self-care (catalan language), which offers some guidance for supporting older people and older family members with experience in mental health.
The publication is the result of participatory processes driven by SMC with the active participation of people with their own experience, family members and professionals, and is aimed primarily at professionals in the field of care for the elderly, without specialization in mental health, and professionals who accompany elderly people with mental disorders and their families, without specialization in psychogerontology.
As the guide reflects, the aging process requires a broader perspective on community-based care and the need to democratize it. In this regard, the document includes several elements that promote care and self-care and foster physical and emotional well-being, such as:
- Building meaningful relationships.
- The recognition of one's own identity and uniqueness.
- The feeling of belonging and inclusion.
- Healthy lifestyle habits.
- Self-knowledge.
- Resilience and positive coping strategies.
Dr. Irene Lebrusán Murillo
Community-based care , support networks—with a key role for community organizations—and access to community resources are fundamental for integrated care aligned with the defense of people's rights. Furthermore, guaranteeing basic living conditions is essential, since housing, income, and food are fundamental for dignified aging and emotional well-being.
