Tag: mental health

York’s drive to become a dementia friendly city

Following the Alzheimer society’s dementia action week I spoke to Professor Lynne Gabriel of York St. John University who explained what life may be like for a dementia sufferer and how the condition is more common than you might think. 

York City Council recently pledged to improve accessibility and increase awareness of the disease in a city-wide bid to improve the quality of life for many of York’s residents. In a bid to ensure York’s businesses are prepped for dementia sufferers, YCC has promised to improve transport and public services, alongside using the ‘forget-me-not’ symbol on businesses and buildings that accommodate for these individuals. 

YCC has also provided a support network for sufferers, working alongside local charities Dementia Forward, Alzheimer’s Society  and Age UK York.

A mental health revolution at York St. John University

 

York st. John university made national news once again after appearing on a collaborative (Madeatuni.org.uk/universitiesuk.ac.uk) top 100 list of universities for services towards mental health. Professor and director of the clinic – Dr. Lynne Gabriel spoke about the foundation of the facility, what they have achieved and who qualifies for counselling. 

Dr. Gabriel expanded on the future development of the clinic, citing the loss of over 6000 mental health professionals over the past decade, she highlights the importance of changing the way mental health services are accessed, how clients are charged and the increasing need for said mental health professionals.  

Speaking about the future of the service, Dr. Gabriel reiterates the need for special commuter services for out of area clients and what the next steps are for the clinic, how these improvements will contribute to a more effective delivery of treatments. 

Developing upon the investment into mental health services in York Dr. Gabriel discussed the planned construction of the new Haxby road inpatient service, which is set for completion during 2020. The future working-relationship between the planned development and the on campus clinic are paramount to providing a good, fair service to clients.