World Mental Health Day, also known as World Mental Health Day, is a day of action proclaimed by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1994. It is intended to draw attention to people’s mental health, make information about mental illnesses accessible and express solidarity with mentally ill people and their relatives.
In the 30 houses for living of the Fund Kuratorium Vienna Pensioners’ Residences, 25 employees are available to provide advice and assistance to the approximately 8,500 residents. The tasks of the psychological service are diverse. They range from psychological support, advice and crisis intervention for residents in difficult life situations to advisory services for relatives and relatives in dealing with residents’ challenging behavior and life situations. The department also supports and relieves employees through advice and short training courses on relevant gerontopsychological topics. The psychologists are assigned to fixed houses or special units and work with all areas of the house. There is also a crisis intervention team. This is available to cover acute psychological crisis situations among residents. There are also specialist psychology experts who support the employees of the pensioners’ homes in dealing with residents with psychiatric illnesses and the associated chronic problem or conflict situations. “Mental and physical health are inextricably linked and interdependent. In keeping with our vision “We make life in Vienna more livable,” our 5,500 full-time and volunteer employees work to improve the mental health of our 8,500 customers and more than 20,000 club members and to offer a good quality of life. The mental health of our employees is also very important to us and we take numerous measures and offers to create a good, safe and health-promoting working world,” says Heinz Stieb, Head of nursing and interdisciplinary care for the houses to live in.
The conference was a complete success
The motto of the 4th gerontopsychological conference with 252 participants in Haus Döbling was “My home. My sexuality. Sensuality and Intimacy in Homes to Live” and contributed to removing taboos around sexuality in old age. The high-quality specialist lectures and contributions illuminated the topic from different perspectives (residents, the LQBTQ+ community through to employees), because sexuality in old age is often fraught with prejudices and taboos – that should and must change for those affected. Mag. Regina Rajecky, who heads the psychological service of the Houses for Living together with Mag.a Elke Gruber-Weiss and developed the conference with them and her team, says “Mental, physical, social and sexual well-being are closely linked. Sexuality, and by this we mean more than sexual intercourse, is a way to feel, express yourself and be in a relationship in a certain way. It can make a significant contribution to the quality of life and enjoyment of life and promotes the self-esteem and identity of older people and people with disabilities. It is high time to encourage open discourse on the topic in order to create better understanding and acceptance.”
The central topic areas were therefore: quality of life and well-being, emotional and mental health, breaking taboos, individual needs and rights as well as diversity and inclusion. The Houses for Living see it as their mission to enable older people to lead a dignified, self-determined and fulfilling life. This is achieved by recognizing that sexuality is an essential part of the well-being and quality of life of older people. Sexuality can lead to the avoidance and relief of loneliness and depression. Removing taboos, imparting knowledge and respecting human rights for older people and people with disabilities are seen as the key to dealing with this issue correctly.
Mag. Christian Hennefeind, Managing Director of Häuser zum Leben, concludes: “It is time to speak openly about the needs and challenges of older people in relation to sexuality. This is the only way we can create an environment in which everyone, regardless of their age, feels comfortable and respected. And that’s exactly what the houses for living stand for: a holistic approach that focuses not only on the needs of our residents but also on the perspective and expertise of our employees.”