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Enhanced Care for Older Adults with Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common mental health conditions experienced by older adults. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 20% of people aged 60 and older live with anxiety or depression, a number I expect may be a good bit higher given that older adults are...
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Using Virtual Reality to Address Loneliness and Increase Social Connectedness in a Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) Program for Older Adults
Social isolation refers to the lack of meaningful friendships, connections, and relationships in one's life, whereas loneliness is the perception of the feelings associated with isolation (Wu, 2020). Wu (2020) reported that one-quarter of older people living in-community report feelings of...
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Bipolar Disorder in Older Adults: Symptoms, Cognitive Impact, and Supportive Activities
Bipolar disorder in older adults is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed as dementia, early Alzheimer’s disease, or even normal age-related cognitive decline (Brown et al., 2011). It is important to distinguish older age bipolar disorder from these diagnoses because treatments and medications are...
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Addressing Suicidality in Older Adults: A Community-Based Approach
In a review of data around suicidality, we see that older adults are highly vulnerable. The CDC reports that adults over age 45 account for more than 50% of deaths by suicide in the US, with the risk of suicide increasing with age. The national rate of suicide is highest among men over age 85 (45.9...
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Total Wellness at Urban Pathways: Focusing on the Needs of Older Adults
Founded in 1975, Urban Pathways has long been a beacon of hope for those in need of supportive housing and comprehensive care. Today, under the leadership of CEO Frederick Shack, Urban Pathways serves over 3,900 people across a variety of 20+ services and programs in NYC. UP operates outreach...
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Nursing Home Initiated Discharges of Residents a Critical Issue for Patients with Mental Health Disorders
Nursing homes care for a growing number of adults with mental health disorders. In fact, mental health is sometimes a decisive factor that contributes to placement in a nursing home, causing nursing homes to become the de facto institution for persons with mental illness. Thus, there is increasing...
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Elder Abuse and Mental Health: Victims, Perpetrators, and Potential for Change
Elder abuse is increasing in the United States (US) as more Americans age and become vulnerable to various forms of mistreatment (Chang & Levy, 2021). This kind of abuse can have significant effects on mental health, not only for older victims but for perpetrators of abuse,...
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Complexities in Caring for Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement
It has been widely reported that individuals with chronic behavioral health conditions experience significantly diminished life expectancies (Chesney et al., 2014). This tragic phenomenon may be attributed, at least in part, to comorbid medical conditions commonly associated with the aging process....
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Fountain House’s Silver Center for Older Adults: It Takes a Village to “Live Long and Prosper” with Behavioral Health Challenges
What’s in a name? Just as age 60 is supposedly the new 40, the silver hair on older heads is now apparently worth its weight in gold. However, the “silver” in Silver Center refers to the respect certain cultures, such as the Japanese, confer on their elders. So, when you read about the...
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Aging, Pain, and Behavioral Health Challenges – Untangling the Threads
Armand is a 78-year-old gay man who has lived with chronic pain for over ten years. A retired actor who enjoyed a successful career on stage and as a mentor for young actors, he now has multiple health conditions including arthritis, a history of cancer, and complications from spinal surgery. He is...
