Older Persons Rights Are Human Rights - IPA/WPA-SOAP Joint Statement

Milwaukee, WI, April 01, 2021 --(PR.com)-- IPA and WPA-SOAP support the efforts of the international community to reiterate that older persons with/ or without mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities hold and should exercise their rights to be treated without discrimination on an equal basis with other citizens. Key themes that underpin human rights peculiar to all older people include autonomy, dignity, care and treatment, safety and privacy.

IPA and WPA-SOAP seeks to ensure that older persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities are not discriminated against based on their age, or their mental health or psychosocial disability status, and are treated as full citizens enjoying all rights on an equal basis with other citizens. This Joint Statement aims to:

I. Lend IPA and WPA-SOAP support to the call for a rights-based approach to mental health.
II. Raise awareness amongst mental health professionals regarding the human rights of older persons.
III. Provide practical guidelines on “how to” recognize, support, manage, mitigate and advocate, to ensure that human rights are front and centre on the radar of health professionals in everyday clinical, research and medicolegal practice.

The IPA and WPA-SOAP are fully committed to support and promote a United Nations (UN) convention on the rights of older persons to safeguard that older persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities can live free from discrimination and are able to fully enjoy their rights. The full joint statement from IPA and WPA-SOAP can be found online at www.ipa-online.org.