Mental Health affects a population, that one day may be YOU!!!

Imagine that one or both or your parents has been diagnosed with dementia. They have lost the ability to remember small details, their constantly depressed, they are experiencing hallucinations and they have a hard time paying attention to you.  For many of us that were raised by our parents this would be a hard reality.  The day we get a phone call from the police department identifying that they have our parent and found them wandering around unsure of what they were doing or where they were going, would be an incredibly sad moment to many of these loved ones.  Often times when you hear about mental health you hear about our young population. 

Mental Health affects our emotional, psychological and social ability to function effectively in our communities and amongst people.  One of the populations that is significantly overlooked is our aging population of elders.  According to the world health organization "between 2015 and 2050 the world's population of over 60 will nearly double."  Mental health disorders, such as dementia, mean that these individuals are less capable of taking care of their everyday responsibilities and task on their own, therefore counting on others to help them thrive and get by in life.  That means we have a strong increasing population of individuals that are extremely vulnerable to mistreatment and exploitation of others if we do not have successful plans and supports put into place.