As I pondered on a topic for this week, I asked a friend for ideas, and he suggested dementia. That diagnosis is not a mental illness, even though there are symptoms that can mimic it, and often persons with dementia experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. However, the topic spurred my thoughts into the challenges that older adults experience as it relates to mental health.
There is an enormous amount of information on this topic that can be found on the World Health Organization, Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Association, and even AI Overviews from their websites. What this article will entail will be my personal experience with mental health in later life. In my twenties, I was a nurse aid for two nursing homes. I gathered a lot of insight into the aging process and how mental health impedes it. Later in life when I received the Master of Social Work degree, I worked in hospice and home healthcare. From college, professional training, and working with the elderly and/or disabled, I gathered tremendous education about mental wellness and the lack thereof.
Now that I am sixty-six years old, I can totally relate to the vast number of stories I have heard from clients and their families over the years! Growing older presents life with some pretty interesting changes – some are good, and some are not so good. I believe that one of the biggest reasons for a good and/or bad experience spins on many risk factors. So, let’s name a few:
· Loneliness
· Social isolation
· Life changes
· Grief
· Medications
· Physical pain and or disease
· High stress
· Poverty
· Lack of coping skills
If you or someone you know is experiencing some or all the above, there are resources and tips on how to overcome these things. Next week, I will discuss some of these things on KEY Consumer Organization’s website. For now, if you are in immediate need, call 988 and/or 211 as they can point you to resources that can help. See you next week!
By: Janet Pottoroff