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,

 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:

emotional
physical
thinking 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  Crying

 Feeling stressed  Moody
 Feeling guilty  Wanting to be alone
 Not wanting to do what they  Thinking about suicide
usually like

(Depression Alliance, 2008)

Signs of Depression
 Physical:

 Eating too much or too little  Constipation

 Gaining or losing weight  Feeling tired
 Sleeping too much or too  Not wanting sex
little

(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
Encourage them to join a neighborhood senior center:

S.T.A.R Senior Center Riverstone Senior Life Services

650 West 187th Street, New York, NY 10033.
Tel: 212-781-8331, web:
http://starseniorcenter.org/home.html
99 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032.
Tel: 212-927-5600, web: http://www.riverstonenyc.org/
e-mail: info@riverstonenyc.org
How you can help
 More neighborhood senior centers:

ARC XVI Fort Washington ARC XVI Inwood Senior Center:

Senior Center: 84 Vermilyea Avenue, New York, NY 10034.
21 Wadsworth Avenue, New York, NY 10033. Tel: 212-567-3200
Tel: 212-781-5700 -Free
-Free -Arts and crafts
-Bingo, dominoes, pool
-Activitiesin English and Spanish
-ESL classes
-Health Services
-Yoga
-Offers breakfast and lunch -Field Trips
How you can help
 Get more info or get involved:

Isabella Senior Resource Washington Heights/Inwood

Center: Council on Aging (WHICOA):
4026 Broadway near 169th street Tel: 212-781-5700, e-mail: whicoa@juno.com
Open Tues., Wed. and Fri., 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Tel: 212-342-9619

-Free -Helps area seniors

-Has info on health Insurance, prescription -Works to create programs
insurance and Medicare and Medicaid -Meets monthly
counseling. -Involves leaders from all the area senior
-Links you to neighborhood resources. centers.
How you can help
 Encourage them to talk to their doctor:

- 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.
 How you can help
 Help them arrange to get tested for depression
at home:

Mobile Crisis Service Mental Health Outreach

Tel: 212-342-5797 Program for Homebound
-Get
Elderly
tested at home. 513 W 166th, Tel: 212-342-5799
-Medicaid and Medicare accepted, and
nobody is turned away. -Get care at home.
-May take up to 5 days to make an -Testing and treatment
appointment. -Must live above155th St, be over the age
-Follow-up appointment for treatment is of 60.
made near home, and clients are taken to
the appointment.
-In English and Spanish.
 How you can help
 Talk to them about getting free medicine through a study in
the neighborhood:

Hispanic Treatment Program Adult and Late Life Depression

for Depression and Anxiety
1051 Riverside Drive, Room 3200, Unit 69.
Tel: 212-543-5367, Web: http://www.nyspi.org
Research Center
1051 Riverside Drive, 1st Floor, Rm 1501
Tel: 212-543-5825, 212-543-5067(Spanish)
Web: http://www.nyspi.org/

-Free treatment
-Free treatment/medication -Must be at least 50 years old
-Up to age 70
-For Hispanics only
-Services offered in English and Spanish
 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 Quiz
l Are you basically satisfied with your life? yes or NO
l Have you dropped many of your activities and interests? YES or no
l Do you feel that your life is empty? YES or no
l Do you often get bored? YES or no
l Are you in good spirits most of the time? yes or NO
l Are you afraid that something bad is going to happen to you? YES or no
l Do you feel happy most of the time? yes or NO
l Do you often feel helpless? YES or no
l Do you prefer to stay at home, rather than going out and doing new things? YES or no
l Do you have more problems with memory than most? YES or no
l Do you think it is wonderful to be alive now? yes or NO
l Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now? YES or no
l Do you feel full of energy? yes or NO
l Do you feel that your situation is hopeless? YES or no
l 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.