How to help elderly

family members, friends and neighbors

who may be depressed Nili Raquel Larish,

MPH 2011

What is depression?

Everybody feels sad sometimes.

_____ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun.

But with depression, you feel sad a lot.

______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun.

What can cause depression in the elderly?

Living alone

Losing a loved one

Living on less money

Disabling illness

Recent surgery

Use of some medicines

Other big life changes

(Oslin, Datto, Kallan, Katz, Edell & Tenhave, 2002.)

How can you tell if someone is depressed?

Elderly may not want to talk about it.

But if they are depressed, there are signs you should know:

emotionalphysicalthinking problems

If 5 of the signs last for at least two weeks, this may mean depression.

(American Psychiatric Association. 2002).

Signs of Depression

Emotional:

Feeling sad Feeling stressed Feeling guilty Not wanting to do what they

usually like

Crying Moody Wanting to be alone Thinking about suicide

(Depression Alliance, 2008)

Signs of Depression

Physical:

Eating too much or too little Gaining or losing weight Sleeping too much or too

little

Constipation Feeling tired Not wanting sex

(Depression Alliance, 2008)

Signs of Depression

Thinking problems:

Hard to focus and make decisions Hard to remember things

(Depression Alliance, 2008)

How common is it?

Depression affects almost 20% of Americans who are over the age of 65.

That’s almost 7 million people in the U.S.

In New York City, 430,000 people suffer from depression.

(Ramos, n.d.)

How you can help

Offer emotional support:

- Spend time together- Make them feel loved and wanted- Ask them how they are doing- Encourage them to stay active and make friends

- Not sure what to say? The Best Things To Say To Someone Who Is Depressed

How you can help

Take them out!

There’s lots to do right in Washington Heights:- Weekly free jazz- fitness walks- walking tours- tai-chi- Want to know what’s going on in the neighborhood? calendar of events.

How you can help

S.T.A.R Senior Center650 West 187th Street, New York, NY 10033.

Tel: 212-781-8331, web: http://starseniorcenter.org/home.html

Riverstone Senior Life Services99 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032.Tel: 212-927-5600, web: http://www.riverstonenyc.org/ e-mail: info@riverstonenyc.org

Encourage them to join a neighborhood senior center:

How you can help

ARC XVI Fort Washington Senior Center:21 Wadsworth Avenue, New York, NY 10033.

Tel: 212-781-5700  

-Free-Activities in English and Spanish-Health Services-Offers breakfast and lunch

ARC XVI Inwood Senior Center:84 Vermilyea Avenue, New York, NY 10034.

Tel: 212-567-3200

-Free-Arts and crafts-Bingo, dominoes, pool-ESL classes-Yoga-Field Trips

More neighborhood senior centers:

How you can help

Isabella Senior Resource Center:4026 Broadway near 169th street

Open Tues., Wed. and Fri., 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Tel: 212-342-9619

-Free-Has info on health Insurance, prescription insurance and Medicare and Medicaid counseling. -Links you to neighborhood resources.

Washington Heights/Inwood Council on Aging (WHICOA): Tel: 212-781-5700, e-mail: whicoa@juno.com

-Helps area seniors-Works to create programs -Meets monthly-Involves leaders from all the area senior centers.

Get more info or get involved:

How you can help

- Talking to their doctor can help them feel better and get treatment.

- If they are not sure what to say to their doctor, help them with this

list of questions.

- Use this checklist to remind them what info to bring to the doctor’s visit.

Encourage them to talk to their doctor:

How you can help

Mobile Crisis Service Tel: 212-342-5797

-Get tested at home.

-Medicaid and Medicare accepted, and nobody is turned away.

-May take up to 5 days to make an appointment.

-Follow-up appointment for treatment is made near home, and clients are taken to the appointment.

-In English and Spanish.

Mental Health Outreach Program for Homebound Elderly 513 W 166th, Tel: 212-342-5799

-Get care at home.-Testing and treatment-Must live above155th St, be over the age of 60.

Help them arrange to get tested for depression at home:

How you can help

Hispanic Treatment Program for Depression and Anxiety1051 Riverside Drive, Room 3200, Unit 69.

Tel: 212-543-5367, Web: http://www.nyspi.org

-Free treatment/medication-Up to age 70 -For Hispanics only-Services offered in English and Spanish

Adult and Late Life Depression Research Center1051 Riverside Drive, 1st Floor, Rm 1501Tel: 212-543-5825, 212-543-5067(Spanish)

Web: http://www.nyspi.org/

-Free treatment-Must be at least 50 years old

Talk to them about getting free medicine through a study in the neighborhood:

Is there a quiz for depression in the elderly?

Yes! It’s called the Geriatric Depression Scale, or GDS.

It has 15 questions, all answered with “yes” or “no”.

The quiz is on the next slide.

You can also pick up a copy of the quiz at the front desk, to take home with you or give to a loved one.

People over 65 should choose the best answers for how they felt this past week.

GDS Quiz1. Are you basically satisfied with your life? yes or NO

2. Have you dropped many of your activities and interests? YES or no

3. Do you feel that your life is empty? YES or no

4. Do you often get bored? YES or no

5. Are you in good spirits most of the time? yes or NO

6. Are you afraid that something bad is going to happen to you? YES or no

7. Do you feel happy most of the time? yes or NO

8. Do you often feel helpless? YES or no

9. Do you prefer to stay at home, rather than going out and doing new things? YES or no

10. Do you have more problems with memory than most? YES or no

11. Do you think it is wonderful to be alive now? yes or NO

12. Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now? YES or no

13. Do you feel full of energy? yes or NO

14. Do you feel that your situation is hopeless? YES or no

15. Do you think that most people are better off than you are? YES or no

Over 5 answers in green may mean depression, over 10 almost always means depression.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2002). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revised. Washington, DC., 356-419.

Depression Alliance. (2008). Impact of Depression on Daily Life. Retrieved from http://www.depressionalliance.org/PDF/inside-story-report.pdf

Oslin, D.W., Datto, C.J., Kallan, M.J. Katz, I.R., Edell, W.S. and Tenhave, T. (2002). Association between medical morbidity and treatment outcomes in late-life depression. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 50, 823-828.

Ramos, S. (n.d.) General introduction to depression [PowerPoint slides.] Retrieved from http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/dmh/dmh-depression-initiative.shtml

Sheikh, J.I., Yesavage, J.A.: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. Clinical Gerontology : A Guide to Assessment and Intervention 165-173, NY: The Haworth Press, 1986.