Mental Health Counseling for mood, aging, and coping with life transitions and chronic illness.

Silver Linings for Seniors

Silver Linings for Seniors, Inc. offers on-site confidential Mental Health Counseling Services and Cognitive Neuropsychological Testing leading to overall well-being and happiness.

“Senior Counseling for Mindful Living”

Mental Health Is…

The fine balance between all aspects of life - social,

physical, spiritual and emotional

Impacts how surroundings and choices are made

An integral part of overall health and well-being

An Aging Population Dramatic increases in aging population from 1996 to projected

2025

Age 60 – 64

1996: 70 million

2025: 100 + million

Age 80+

1996: 30 million

2025: 80 million

US Department of Commerce: Economics and Statistics Administration

Global Aging into the 21st Century – 2000

Good Mental Health? How do we Know?

People feel good about themselves.

They aren’t overwhelmed by emotions, such as fear,

anger, love, jealousy, guilt, anxiety or grief.

Have lasting and satisfying personal relationships.

Good Mental Health means:

An individual feels comfortable with other people

Can laugh at him/herself and with others

Has respect for oneself and for others even if there are

differences

And People Are Able To…Accept life’s disappointments

Meet life’s demands and handle problems when they arise

Make decisions on their own

Shape a living environment whenever possible, and adjust

to it when necessary

Ask for guidance when needed

Normal AgingPeople are likely to have the following

symptoms….

• Slower to think

• Slower to do

• Hesitate more

• More likely to ‘look before leaping’

• Know a person but not his/her name

• Pause to find words

• Reminded of the past

Not Normal AgingIs when a person:

Can’t think the same Can’t do things like before Can’t get started Can’t seem to move on Doesn’t think it out at all Can’t place a person Words won’t come – even later Confused about past versus now Doesn’t think and just reacts

Maintaining Good Mental Health Requires…

Attention to lifestyle

Social contact

Reviewing life from time to time

Having people to trust

Awareness of what can go wrong

Taking steps to resolve problems

When Life is Not Going Well…

- Assessment• Have a Therapist listen

• Assessments are very important –may take one or more sessions

• “Chief complaint” may be misleading-we dig to help

• Medication history—take time to understand medications

• Allow a Therapist to get to know the person’s history

• Always share information regarding functional abilities

Areas of Assessment• Functional assessment

• Mobility, gait and balance

• Sensory and language impairments

• Continence

• Nutrition

• Cognitive/behavior problems

• Depression

Parkinson‘s YOU AREA NOT ALONE!

Nearly 50,000 Americans are diagnosed each year.

Many times people with Parkinson’s are told by their healthcare providers that they have some other disorders or, conversely, people with other disorders are told they have Parkinson’s disease because the symptoms are similar.

Which can lead to depression and other mental health concerns.

Psychosocial ChangesSome individual cope with psychosocial changes, and others experience extreme frustration and mental distress

• Depression

• Alzheimer’s

• Dementia

• Adjustment Disorder

• Anxiety Disorder

• Grief and Loss

Non-Specific Symptoms Confusion

Self-neglect

Falling

Incontinence

Apathy

Anorexia/weight loss

Dyspnea

Fatigue

“Taking to bed”

An Important but Uncomfortable Conversation… Sexual dysfunction

Depression

Incontinence

Musculoskeletal stiffness

Alcoholism

Hearing loss

Memory loss

Grief

Not Asking For Help Due To

• Belief that symptoms are due to old age• Fear or denial• Concern about cost• Embarrassment• Mental impairment• Concern about ill spouse• Previous bad experience with health care

system• Fear of institutionalization

Loss Comes in Many Forms:

Physical health Social contacts - friends/family die Familiar roles - mother, wife, employed person Financial security - retirement, widowhood Independence and power Mental stability Pets

Loss can lead to feeling of depression.

Normal Aging vs. DiseaseNormal aging

“Crow’s feet”

Hearing Loss

Seborrhea Keratosis

Loss of skin elasticity

Being forgetful

Decreased blood vessel compliance

Disease Macular degeneration

Basal cell CA

Dementia

Athero-sclerosis

Hypertension

Obesity

Is Someone Depressed ?

• Negative feelings linger, intensify, and often become debilitating

• A complex illness, creating physical, psychological, and social symptoms

• Often missed diagnosed• Somatic complaints often predominate• Many, many drugs should be suspected• High suicide rate in elderly males

Statistics of Depression Of 35 million seniors in the US

An estimated 2 million have a depressive illness 5 million have subsyndromal depression Less than 10% are treated 1 in 10 Americans over 65 will be depressed

19% of all suicides are by patients over 65 Seniors comprise 13% of the population The highest suicide rates in the U.S. are found in white men over

age 85

Seniors have 50% higher health care costs if depressed

Pay Attention to Appetite/weight change

Fatigue

Falling/gait/balance

Sleep

Depression

Hearing/visual loss

Alcohol use

Joint pain, stiffness, ROM

Cough

Constipation/laxative use or abuse

Incontinence

Memory loss/confusion

Headache

Transient weakness or visual symptoms (TIA’s)

Anxiety Disorders

Panic disorders

Phobias of intense fear

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Post traumatic Stress Disorder

Panic Disorders - Symptoms Chest pain, pressure or discomfort

Heart palpitations or rapid heart beat

Difficulty breathing or catching your breath

A choking sensation or lump in the throat

Excessive sweating; light-headedness or dizziness

Tingling or numbness in parts of the body

Chills or hot flashes; shaking or trembling or feelings of unreality or of being detached from the body

• We understand it is sometimes hard to adjust to a new location and way of life

Cognitive Functioning

Cognitive Problems Goals of cognitive screening

Detect unsuspected mental impairment

Provide baseline for future encounters

Discover those at risk for delirium

Provide concrete data for competency/decision-making opinions

We will suggest you follow up with your Doctor as appropriate

Dementia

Depression vs. Dementia Depression can look like dementia (pseudodementia)

Duration is weeks to months, not months to years

Recent and long term memory loss

Language pressured

History of depression (usually positive)

Responds to questions with “I don’t know”

Patient’s impression of disability: exaggerated

Types of Dementia Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-- > 60%

Vascular (multi-infarct) dementia-- 15-20%

Mixed dementia: AD + vascular features

All others rare: AIDS, Parkinson’s, Down’s syndrome

Reversible dementias: depression, thyroid disease, vitamin deficiency, infections, normal pressure hydrocephalus

Alzheimer's Disease Pathologically deposits of plaques (amyloid) and

neurofibrillary tangles (tau protein)

Average time between diagnosis and death - 10 years

Early - personality changes, irritability, anxiety, depression

Late: 50% develop agitation, delusions, hallucinations, or paranoia

Types of Dementia Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-- > 60%

Vascular (multi-infarct) dementia-- 15-20%

Mixed dementia: AD + vascular features

All others rare: AIDS, Parkinson’s, Down’s syndrome

Reversible dementias: depression, thyroid disease, vitamin deficiency, infections, normal pressure hydrocephalus

Alzheimer's Disease Pathologically deposits of plaques (amyloid) and

neurofibrillary tangles (tau protein)

Average time between diagnosis and death - 10 years

Early - personality changes, irritability, anxiety, depression

Late: 50% develop agitation, delusions, hallucinations, or paranoia

Questions?

Please reach out: We’re here to help!

919-943-3064

Basic Email Address:info@SilverLiningsNC.com

Website:www.SilverLiningsNC.com