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Author Archive

NYAPRS Regional Forum Held at CoveCare Center

Individuals served by and representatives from agencies in Putnam, Westchester and surrounding counties participated in a special forum hosted by CoveCare Center in Carmel, NY. “The Power of Grassroots Advocacy” and “The Promise of Pioneering Service Innovations” were the main topics...

Physical Illness, Depression, and Late-Life Suicide: Considerations and Opportunities for Enhancing Suicide Prevention

Suicide rates in the United States increased from an age-adjusted rate of 11.3/100,000 in 2007 to 14.0/100,000 in 2017 (CDC Fatal Injury Data). During that same period, rates among adults 65 and older remained higher than the national rate, climbing from 14.3 to 17.1/100,000. Increased risk for...

Reaching Out to Meet the Mental Health Needs of the Aging

There are more than with 3.7 million individuals aged 60 and older in New York State. It’s expected that this number will increase to 4.63 million by 2040. At the same time, the number of older adults with mental illness will increase by 80 percent, to 900,000. Studies have shown that the...

Senior Volunteer Programs Provide More than Service

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the 65 and older population will reach 73 million by 2030. Baby boomers are the fastest growing population in the United States and by 2029 will comprise 20% percent of the total national population. With that in mind, social service providers are...

Seniors and Substance Use

After her husband died, Sandra began having trouble sleeping. She tried many over- the-counter remedies to help her sleep, but nothing worked. Sandra was hesitant to speak with her doctor about it as she knew that many prescription sleep aides were addictive, and she was concerned about becoming...

Stability, Wisdom, and Strength: Older Adults in Supported Housing

This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The authors of this column facilitated a focus group of their peers to inform this writing. The authors are served by Services for...

Substance Misuse in Older Adults

In recognition of the State’s commitment to healthy aging, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) designated New York as the first Age-Friendly State in the nation. The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) recognizes that a key component of healthy aging is...

Telephonic Care Management Program for Patients with Medicare

In this important issue on care for the elderly in Behavioral Health News, we hope to highlight the success of our telephonic care management service to the aging population at The Institute for Family Health’s (IFH) network of community health centers in New York City and upstate New York....

The Mental Health Needs of Older Adults

Our society continues to age, and it is estimated that by 2030 there will be more than 75 million Americans over the age of 65. The population of older adults (60 YO+) is growing faster than any other age group. According to Institute of Medicine, 1 in 5 older adults will experience at least one...

The NYSPA Report: Mental Health and the Geriatric Population

I am pleased to share with you an interview we conducted with Dilip Jeste, MD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. He is also a past President of the American Psychiatric Association and a member of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Scientific...