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Suicide prevention for seniors

Often forgotten are our older people – our parents, grandparents, and elderly neighbours and friends.

Suicide touches people of all identities, occupations, geographic locations and ages.

Older persons or Seniors, as they are sometimes referred, represent people over the age of 65 years (and over 55 years in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations). Suicide is present in these older ages also and yet, whilst older persons are identified as a priority population for suicide prevention strategies, services often are not meeting the specific needs of these people.

Roses in the Ocean has worked in recent years with the NSW Older People’s Mental Health Service and Anglicare NSW to learn more from older people with lived experience of suicide, about how they can be better supported.

Anglicare is providing training and webinars for people working within residential aged care and older persons services to increase their knowledge and understanding of the specific needs of older people experiencing emotional distress and/or suicidal thoughts or crisis.

Watch Compilation Video

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Roses in the Ocean had the privilege of interviewing a number of Seniors to capture their lived experience perspectives and insights into how we can support them better.

Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program

If you work with older people and would like to learn how to help prevent suicide, this program can provide the training you need.


Run by Anglicare and funded by the NSW and Australian Governments, the Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program trains those who work with seniors to support someone experiencing thoughts of suicide by noticing the warning signs, having a conversation with empathy and referring them to professional support where needed. * This program is free and is suited to aged care workers, retirement living staff, pharmacists, geriatricians, medical centre staff and anyone who works closely with older people.

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