With increasing age comes an increase in comorbidity, illness, and difficulty completing mental and physical tasks that are required for daily life. Finding an optimal care model for the elderly should take a holistic approach and include a comprehensive assessment of their medical, social, and psychological needs. By taking a comprehensive approach, diagnostic accuracy can be improved, interventions to preserve and restore health can be properly selected, and where necessary, arrangements for long-term care can be made thus improving quality of life. In the majority of African countries, including South Africa, there is a belief that mental disorders in the elderly are less prevalent, and while primary health addresses other health concerns such as HIV and tuberculosis, the resources for mental health remain limited. While mental health legislation in South Africa is progressive and there have been many policies that have been implemented in an effort to increase mental healthcare to the elderly such as the National Health Act and the Older Person’s Act that include express protections for, among others, access to psychological services and reasonable access to assistance and visits, they are underfunded and usually go unimplemented leading to many issues such as inaccessibility, unaffordability and stigma. Further, lack of training and specialization in geriatrics for healthcare professionals remain and need to be addressed.