FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Mental health is important at every stage of life. But doctors say older people can face more challenges as people get older.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 14% of adults over the age of 60 have a mental illness.
“People who may already have depression or mental illness may get older, and in that case they may be inheriting a pre-existing condition,” explains Dr. Amit Saini. did. “At the same time, as we live longer, we develop more chronic diseases.”
While Dr. Saini practices geriatric medicine at Kaiser Permanente Fresno, he also assists at various nursing homes in the Valley.
He sees first-hand how life changes, such as the death of a spouse or separation from loved ones, affect older adults.
“If you don’t have a sense of purpose, you might lose interest,” he says. “I might lose the motivation to exercise and do all these good things that are important to me.”
Dr. Saini said Kaiser Permanente providers are actively educating patients about mental health because some older adults have a hard time seeking support. Kaiser also offers in-person, phone and video appointments with therapists.
Meanwhile, digital therapy company Talkspace is also taking action to be part of the solution.
The company just announced that it will expand its free telehealth services to Medicare members in California and 10 other states.
“For every 1,000 Medicare enrollees, there tend to be less than five active providers. There are also things like ghost networks. or if we find out that we are not accepting new patients,” Chief Medical Officer Nicole Benders Hadi said. “So actually being able to provide access to care for older adults is something we knew we had to do.”
While healthcare providers and businesses strive to increase access to mental health resources, they want to remind everyone that it’s okay to seek help as you get older.
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