Studies of older people have shown that good mental health and greater social
engagement are markers of resilience in aging and may be protective against
cognitive decline. Some studies suggest that treating psychiatric symptoms may
also be protective.
Dr. Nancy Donovan, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, will discuss these findings and her own research that is part of the Harvard Aging Brain Study, a longitudinal study of 270 cognitively healthy older adults. The presentation and discussion will take place at Goddard House Assisted Living in Brookline. Continue reading →
With support from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, UMass Boston’s Gerontology Institute is hosting a summit focused on building better collaboration between behavioral health providers and aging services.
Featured speakers include Elder Affairs Secretary Alice Bonner, Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health Joan Mikula, and State Representative Denise Garlick who co-chairs the legislature’s Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Recovery. Rep. Garlick is formerly the co-chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs. Continue reading →
This new grantee report outlines services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the U.S.territories. The territory report includes information about employment status, employment and education services, and trends in community living for people with disabilities living in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Source: Administration for Community Living (ACL)
This fact sheet was created through a collaboration between Mental Health America, and the National Council on Aging.
This fact sheet on Depression in Older Adults was created through a collaboration between Mental Health America and the National Council on Aging.
This fact sheet on Anxiety in Older Adults was created through a collaboration between Mental Health America and the National Council on Aging.
Cross-posted from Hebrew SeniorLife
By Jennifer Rhodes-Kropf, M.D., Hebrew SeniorLife
February is American Heart Health month, which makes it a great time to make changes that can improve the health of your heart. As a geriatrician at Center Communities of Brookline, I’m thrilled when patients want to make changes to positively impact their health, especially the health of the heart. Cardiovascular disease (which includes heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure) continues to be the number 1 killer of men and women in the U.S. This amazing organ needs to be protected and properly cared for to remain healthy for years to come. Continue reading →
Janet Seckel-Cerrotti is the Executive Director of FriendshipWorks, where she has been helping to match volunteers with socially isolated elders for 30 years.
What is FriendshipWorks?
FriendshipWorks is a nonprofit dedicated to helping elders in the Boston and Brookline area who are isolated and in need of a helping hand, a person to talk to, a friend. With over 62,000 elders living in Boston, more than 22,000 are currently living alone. Social isolation and loneliness among elders can be debilitating both emotionally and physically. It’s a growing problem for today’s generation, but we have a simple solution. Continue reading →
By Kathy Kuhn, Center for Aging and Disability Resource (CADER), BU School of Social Work
I’d like to share with you a story from my days as a social worker at Kit Clark Senior Services (KCSS).
Ms. McKay is an 82-year-old African American woman living in Dorchester. She was single, with significant hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. Although she had a prosthetic leg, she was mobile. She had been active in her church but was recently spending more and more time alone in her apartment and not even collecting her mail. Her apartment was getting increasingly cluttered, bordering on hoarding. Continue reading →
By Kathy Kuhn, Center for Aging and Disability Resource (CADER), BU School of Social Work
In my last blog post on mental health and aging, I described Ms. McKay, an older woman who was coping with multiple losses. She had significant hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. She had been active in her church but was spending more and more time alone in her apartment and not even collecting her mail. Her closest relative had recently moved away. She felt that nobody really cared if she even showed up. Despite the clear signs of depression, Ms. McKay’s provider did not notice them during her last doctor’s visit. Continue reading →
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