Demographic Changes among Ethnic Minority Elders in England and Wales: Implications for Development and Delivery of Old Age Psychiatry Services

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.

Ageing, ethnicity and psychiatric services

“…Over the past 30 years the UK population has grown by 7%. The proportion of Black and minority ethnic individuals over the age of 65 has increased from 3% in 1991 to 8.2% in 2001 according to the 2001 population census in England and Wales (Shah, 2007). This contrasts with 17% of the White British population being over 65 years old in 1991 and 2001.…”

Mental health services for black and minority ethnic elders in the United Kingdom: a systematic review of innovative practice with service provision and policy implications

“…The definition of BME groups used in the government document Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care (Department of Health, 2005) is: "all people of minority ethnic status in England. Shah notes that "BME elders constitute heterogeneous ethnic groups with unique experiences, and they should not be amalgamated into one group" (Shah, 2007). (p. 11) Although a working definition is necessary, everyone belongs to an ethnic group, each of us is unique, and we all have differing needs (Lane and Hearsum, 2007).…”

“…Most of their attention is often directed towards language discordance and cultural differences. Shah has suggested that, although BME elders have high rates of general practice registration and consultation, rates of contact with dementia services are low due to several factors, including communication difficulties, taboo and stigma attached to mental illness, bias and prejudice of clinicians, institutional racism, unfamiliarity of symptoms of dementia to patients and relatives, and paucity of diagnostic and screening instruments (Shah, 2007). Shah has suggested that, although BME elders have high rates of general practice registration and consultation, rates of contact with dementia services are low due to several factors, including communication difficulties, taboo and stigma attached to mental illness, bias and prejudice of clinicians, institutional racism, unfamiliarity of symptoms of dementia to patients and relatives, and paucity of diagnostic and screening instruments (Shah, 2007).…”

Psychiatry of old age and ethnic minority older people in the United Kingdom

“…The proportion of older people over the age of 65 years from BME groups in the general population has progressively increased from 1% in 1981, 20 to 3% in 1991, 21 to 8.2% in the 2001 22,23 population censuses in England and Wales. Moreover, 7.1% of all older people in England and Wales were from BME groups in the 2001 population census.…”

“…Moreover, 7.1% of all older people in England and Wales were from BME groups in the 2001 population census. 22,23 The total number of older people from all BME groups combined was 531,909. Similarly the proportion of older people in other countries, including the United States, 24,25 is also increasing.…”