Today is world mental health day and the theme this year is, "Mental Health and Older Adults". Indeed, amongst all the difficulties of aging, the fact that older persons may suffer from depression and anxiety is often overlooked. Experts say that many times persons 60 years and older have difficulty contending with the loss of ability to live independently because of limited physical mobility or mental health disorders. Today at the resource center on Vernon street, Kathy Esquivel of the mental health association discussed those issues and how you can help mitigate them for that older person in your life:..
Geovanni Brackett, reporter
"What are the mental health challenges face by older adults?"
Kathy Esquivel
"Obviously there are all kinds of issues especially health issues and things like dementia, Alzheimer's but there is also a certain amount of depression if you are shut in or if you have health issues. There are physical and emotional issues for the older adults that we need to recognized."
Geovanni Brackett, reporter
"What can be done for older persons who face mental health challenges?"
Kathy Esquivel
"As I said, depends what the challenge is; sometimes it's the change of environment, sometimes its helping them to get out and or to have people interact with them, sometimes its medication."
Geovanni Brackett, reporter
"What would you say to younger persons who find it tiresome to deal with older persons who are battling with mental health challenges?"
Kathy Esquivel
"Sometimes young people say that they never want to get old, but it's not a choice, we all get old. So, I think that younger people, many of them find that if they take the effort they get a tremendous comfort from talking to older people. They can often learn a lot and so it's always worthwhile."
On Saturday, the Annual Mental Health Banquet will be held.
Email
Print