Older adults mental health
On this page
The Older Adults Mental Health (OAMH) services provide the mental health response for older adults with complex needs arising from dementia, psychosis and more complex or enduring depression and anxiety disorders.
Important: Contacts
Older Adults Mental Health services in each district:
Badenoch and Strathspey
- phone 01479 813400
Caithness
- phone 01955 606915 - Wick
- phone 01847 891224 - Thurso
Easter Ross, Mid Ross and the Black Isle
- phone 01349 853636
Inpatient services
- phone 01463 704000 (Raigmore switchboard)
Inverness
- phone 01463 883744
Lochaber
- phone 01397 709830
Nairn
- phone 01667 422786
Sutherland
- phone 01408 664 085
Wester Ross, Skye and Lochalsh
- phone 01478 614216 - Skye and Lochalsh
- phone 01854 633263 - Wester Ross
About the services
Access to these services is primarily via GP referral - covering the Highland HSCP area only.
NHS Highland follows criteria developed by The Faculty of the Psychiatry of Old Age at the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2015).
We see:
- people of any age with a primary dementia
- people with a mental health problem who are over the age of 65
- people whose mental health problems are affected by frailty or the aging process (this could include people under 65)
Older Adults Mental Health services diagnose dementia, support the most complex presentations and offer specialist advice to care homes.
In collaboration with Alzheimer Scotland we also provide a one year post-diagnosis service to help people newly diagnosed with dementia. Alzheimer Scotland provides services and support across Scotland to help anyone who is worried about their memory, has a diagnosis of dementia, or who is supporting someone with dementia. Find support near you at Alzheimer Scotland.
Services offered
- Community mental health services provided by specialist teams across the Highland HSCP area.
- Specialist dementia inpatient unit situated at New Craigs Hospital in Inverness.
- An older adults acute ward situated at New Craigs Hospital.
The Herbert Protocol
The Herbert Protocol was introduced by Police Scotland in 2021. It is an information gathering tool to assist finding missing people living with dementia, quickly.
A form can be maintained, to include places of importance, often-visited places and a recent photograph of the person living with dementia. It should then be stored within their home address and produced to the police in the unfortunate event that they have been reported missing. This saves the police a lot of time noting down details, meaning they can spend more time searching for the missing person. Ownership and responsibility for updating the form remains with the family or carer.
Following its introduction in Scotland, the Hebert Protocol has been used many times to trace missing people with dementia and return them home. It is an example of how emergency and care services are working together to keep those with dementia safe.
Find out more about the Herbert Protocol at Police Scotland, including the downloadable form.
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Important: Highland Mental Wellbeing
Highland Mental Wellbeing is a list of both local and national services, information and training around the subject of mental health and wellbeing. It can be confusing to know where to start with online information, so it aims to help by highlighting some of the best websites and sources of help. It also provides information about training and resources for community/service volunteers or paid staff, in a 'helping' or supporting role.
Important: Mental health information at NHS inform
NHS inform provides a wealth of information on identifying, treating and managing mental health problems and disorders.
- Mental health - identifying, treating and managing mental health problems and disorders
- Get help with your mental health and wellbeing - including a guide to help you find support, and information about digital programmes:
- Mental health and wellbeing self-help guides - anxiety, grief, pain, depression, anger, sleep and phobias are covered in these interactive and practical self-help guides using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
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