Winter support for older people with mental illness

Older people with mental health problems are often reluctant to use day-care facilities in the winter. This can often have a detrimental effect on their health and put further pressures on overstretched facilities. The authors describe a pilot scheme at a mental health trust in London that provided assertive outreach to service users who found it difficult to engage with services, encouraging them to take part in therapeutic activities and to attend the day centre. After six months the health of the participants showed improvements.