face physical or mental ill health, our carers do what they can to help every client enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. The biggest challenge, however, will be coping with the increasing number of people requiring such support. That might be minimal or highly complex, but it will always require the services of carers, with varying degrees of expertise and skills.


In many countries, mental health problems amongst the elderly have already become a major public health issue. Even in Jersey, it is threatening an increase in anxiety, depression, social isolation, loneliness and low self-esteem.


Poor mental health at any age also has huge economic implications. For example, the estimated cost of mental ill health in the UK for employers is said to be between £33 and £42 billion a year. If that was scaled down to Jersey’s economy it would still be a seven figure sum, particularly because of the number of relatively high earners in the Island.


Additionally, a recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development study highlighted the impact poor mental ill health can have on organisations in the UK. It found that:


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• 37% of sufferers are more likely to get into conflict with colleagues


• 57% find it harder to juggle multiple tasks • 80% find it difficult to concentrate • 62% take longer to do tasks


• 50% are potentially less patient with customers/clients


It would be surprising if Jersey’s figures were a great deal better than the UK average.


For a home care agency, that points to the central position we have in the community and shows how well we are placed to contributing to a solution. Not only can we promote the need for mental health awareness throughout the Island and to our clients, in particular, but we can also support the mental health of our staff and carers. As our carers also get to know their clients very well and are regularly in their homes, they can often provide an early warning of problems ahead. If they notice symptoms and witness a change in their client’s behaviour, then the client’s GP and other specialists can be alerted and measures put in place. Undertaking suitable risk assessments makes us aware of the need to address any problems as soon as they are identified and we can use on-line survey tools closely linked to Health and Safety Executive management standards.


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