The Iowa Coalition of Mental Health and Aging was established to address the needs of older Iowans with mental illnesses.
Access to mental health services by persons over the age of 65 remains the lowest among all population groups. Even when older adults with mental illnesses do obtain care, the treatments are not always effective. Many treatments are not even considered to be evidence-based or provided by persons who have been trained to work with older adults. Researchers, clinicians, administrators, consumers, and state officials recognize that this is as a serious problem. As the population continues to age and the number of older adults with mental illnesses continues to increase, responding to the problems faced by older Iowans with mental illnesses will become even more critical.