''Vi måste prata om det, vi kan inte längre sticka huvudet i sanden, varken i samhället eller på våra boenden'' En kvalitativ studie kring psykisk ohälsa inom äldreomsorgen

Sammanfattning: Mental illness among the elderly is a problemarea that requiers further research to increase knowledge. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate how the elderly’s mental health are prioriticed in elderly care, talked about by first-line managers and nursing staff in elderly care and also to investige possibilities for prevention of mental illness. The studie was conducted through qualitative interviews with two first-line managers and four assistant nurses working in special housing and home care. The result of the studie was that attention and priority of mental illness among the elderly was due to education, knowledge and finiancial conditions. The most reccuring theme among the respondents was the lack of time, staff shortages as well as lack of knowledge and experience about mental illness. By applying ageism as a theoretical starting point of these results it can be seen that the priority of education and financial conditions in elderly care can be influenced by society’s perceptions and expections of the elderly. The results of such a phenomenon could be that mental illness among the group does not get noticed to the extent needed. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that further knowledge is required on the topic of mental illness among the elderly and that increased measures are needed to counteract ageism.