Older Adults and Mental Health Issues
March 8th, 2009 Categories: The Senior Network
Let me start out by saying I’m a Senior Real Estate Professional (SRES) in Boulder Colorado that has a strong interest in providing Real Estate services to people in the 2nd 1/2 of their life. My interest in learning more about seniors is compounded by the fact that I myself have 5 generations of women living in my family (I know there are more like me out there, let me hear from you) : my grandmother is 98 (still with it…bless her heart), my mother 78 (caretaker of my grandmother who recently went into a nursing home because she wasn’t capable of taking care of her at her home any more), ME ( listener of problems, counselor in training, director of research and in the middle of the sandwich generation), my daughter (who is direct caretaker to her husbands grandmother who is bi-polar and also lives close enough to her grandparents on her dad’s side that still live in their own home and are closing in on 90) and wee little Sophie Louise who is 18 months and is running circles around mom and grandmom and great grandmom. You’d think we’d all be nuts ourselves by now….but we’re not there yet!
By the way, what do we mean by aging and do we all loose are marbles after a while? We get our AARP card at age 50 right? Baby Boomers started to turn 60 in 2006 and were Vietnam protesters. Others that are aging today lived through the great depression! Well….I don’t know about you, but I’M NOT OLD YET ! We have so many older adults today that we have to start classifying their oldness! “Younger Old” seems to be between the ages of 65-75, and then there’s “Older Old” which hits between the ages of 75-85 and then there is the “Oldest Old” that is 85 and older. Here are some interesting facts about the “Olds” from my home town of Boulder Colorado:
- 28.666 folks over 60 in 2000 census in Boulder County
- 10.6% of population vs. 16.3% nationally
- older population projected to be 13/1% by 2008 and 20.2% by 2020
- “Oldest Old” is one of the fastest growing groups – 75+ expected to increase from .1% to 5.8% of population
- 21% of older people say they’re generally satisfied and are NOT lonely
- 84% of older adults think loneliness is a problem for others, not them (which creates a stereotype that all old people are lonely -
How do you know and how do you tell if a senior in your life is suffering from mental illness and how do you identify symptoms to be able to get treatment for them (and it’s never too late – especially since we’ll probably all live to be “oldest old” ). In my real estate business and working with older adults and their families I get to see first hand some of these issues. I really think it’s important for me, and others that work directly with seniors to be sensitive about what might be happening to the senior or what the senior perceives is happening to themselves, so you can best help prepare them for a big move and selling their home of many years.
I recently went to a lecture on Mental Health and the Aging and I came back with a great questionnaire that I wanted to share. Take the test and see how much you think you know (answers at the bottom). If you got several wrong then that’s a great way to realize that you need more information on the subject. By the way these are all True or False questions.
1. The types of mental health concerns elders experience are substantially different from other age groups.
2. Loneliness is a problem for most older people.
3. Older adults are most likely to socialize at senior centers.
4. Most older people will have serious problems with memory loss.
5. As people age they become more cautious and rigid.
6. With all the ailments and losses elders have, it’s normal to be depressed.
7. More women than men suffer from depression.
8. Older people don’t respond as well to treatment for depression.
9. Depression is difficult to diagnose in older adults.
10. Older adults have one of the highest suicide rates of any age group.
How do you think you did?
Answers:
1. False Although people with major mental illness die 25 years younger, the overall prevalence is actually lower
2. False 21% of older people say they’re generally satisfied and are NOT lonely
and 84% of older adults think loneliness is a problem for others, not them (which creates a stereotype that all old people are lonely
3. False Actually religious affiliation is the most common form of social interaction – not senior centers
4. False Actually some types of memory improves, however there always seems to be a decrease in new facts and word finding (even I can’t remember that “word” for something sometimes..and I’M NOT OLD YET !)
5. False Our personality styles are created early and is very stable in the 2nd 1/2 of life (so Uncle Joe has probably always been that cranky)
6. False Depression is not normal for elders and 80% of older adults manage quite well the challenges of growing old (ie..”serial losses” which means multiple loses and changes, hearing and sight impairment, other health maintenance issues)
7. True Sadly it’s true that twice as many women suffer from depression – although men may mask their symptoms better and also don’t seek help as readily
8. False Old people seem to respond as well as other age groups – it may take longer and they may need to continue therapy longer, however, the success rate is 80%
9. True Because of the existence of medical conditions that might mask symptoms it is harder to diagnose, along with other issues such as Thyroid, Diabetes, Cancers, Stokes, Colon diseases and other medical issues
10.True So so sadly true. Older adults have one of the highest suicide rates especially while men over age 85 (54 per 100,000). And I heard that 75% of the men go see their physician 2 weeks before they die.
Remember that mental illnesses are some of the most misunderstood afflictions in our society today. Too many people still (and especially older men) think of mental illness as a “weakness”. By the way, another little tidbit: 50% of adults think depression is normal in old people and older Caucasian men have the highest suicide rate because men’s symptoms present differently than woman’s, and they are very reluctant to seek help – only 10% do!
Just for reference I’ve listed the types of mental illnesses we have identified in our society today – and are actually harder to identify in seniors.
- Mood disorders – depression and manic depressive disorder (also called bipolar disorder) are disorders that cause change in a person’s mood. Some of the symptoms are: feelings of hopelessness, exhaustion and uselessness, problems with sleep, appetite, self-esteem, daily activities and physical health
- Anxiety disorders – a common factor is feeling of constant terror, dread or worry beyond one’s normal reactions to danger or perceived fear (phobias), panic disorders (symptoms include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, choking, trembling and faintness)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder, symptoms include acting in a repetitive, ritualistic behavior like hand washing, stove or lock checking, counting to a certain number , unrealistic fears of hurting one’s child in public
- Schizophrenia – perception can be distorted beyond reality causing sufferers to hear or see things that are not there, thoughts seem scrambled or suddenly jump from one subject to an unrelated subject – they commonly feel a heightened self-awareness or paranoia and will suffer low self-esteem and even withdraw into seclusion
If your parents or other older adults are displaying some symptoms, please talk to your family members and seek help. Here in Boulder County we have a wealth of outreach services for our aging population and I know that your community must too.
For Boulder and Broomfield Counties:
SENIOR REACH PROGRAM serving Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Gilpin and Jefferson Counties providing community training, outreach and direct in-home mental health, care management and supportive services to at risk older adults. 1-866-217-5808 www.seniorreach.org
SENIOR PEER COUNSELING PROGRAM - trained and supervised senior volunteers provide supportive counseling at no cost for older adults dealing with challenges of aging. 303-413-6377 or the Boulder Senior Services at 303-441-4388 to refer
GERIATRIC TEAM – mental health professionals to provide treatment for Older Adults with serious mental health challenges, nursing home, office and home visits available, Medicare and Medicaid accepted and sliding fee possible. 303-413-6263 to refer or with further questions call Helen Balis at 720-406-3661
BOULDER COUNTY AGING SERVICES DIVISION – serving Boulder County, 303-441-3570 www.bouldercountyseniors.info
Please feel free to contact me through our website if you have any concerns or want to add a special experience you’ve had with your favorite senior. Karen Cifala
