Mental Health Program Offers Support
May 11, 2022
Ezra DeVore & Jillian LeCompte
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, May 2022, addressing the importance of mental health, as well as knowing where one can get help is essential. Local options exist, but are rarely taken advantage of.
Karen George, a behavioral health professional at the Mercy Hospital in Cassville, specializes in a program called Senior Life Solutions. According to George, this program stems directly from the local Cassville Hospital. “We are a Mercy Hospital program designed to meet the unique needs of individuals typically 65 and older experiencing depression or anxiety related to life changes that are often associated with aging.
As the program director, I am responsible for directing and coordinating the activities of program staff to ensure quality patient care and providing community education to create awareness of the program.”
George has an equipped team to help her serve the community’s needs.
“On our team is program therapist Pamela Smith, LCSW, who provides therapy to our patients through group, individual, and family sessions, and our office patient coordinator, who provides quality administrative and clerical services for the program and patient support.”
Defined by the CDC, "Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.
Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood."
The importance of mental health and how big of an impact it has is why Mental Health Awareness Month first became established.
According to Mental Health America (MHA), in 1949, Mental Health Week was introduced, which eventually became Mental Health Month, to help "educate Americans about mental illness and mental health."
Each year, organizations and programs like Senior Life Solutions come together to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, help improve access to care, educate communities on signs and symptoms, and highlight mental health progress globally.
There are multiple things that you can do to be involved during Mental Health Awareness Month. A clinician from Senior Life Solutions can provide a confidential assessment to determine if you or a loved one are eligible for the program. Services offered by Mercy Hospital Cassville's Senior Life Solutions include a confidential, comprehensive assessment, group and individual therapy, family therapy, medication education and management, and after-care planning, where the organization continues to engage and support the participants. Even though this is a group setting, according to George, each person will individually get their unique needs addressed.
Second, you can coordinate a book club with friends to discuss a book on mental health. Also, have regular check-ins with family and friends to see how they are doing. You can use that as an outlet also.
Additionally, people can learn the signs and symptoms to watch for if a friend or family member is in crisis.
Identifying the signs that indicate someone is struggling with mental health is essential. Some signs to look for include:
-Changes in sleep or eating patterns increase or decrease.
-Expressed feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, or wanting to “just give up.”
-Frequent trips to the doctor or Emergency Department for unexplained illness.
-Frequent yelling and fighting with family or friends.
-Little to no energy.
-Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
-Mood swings.
-Inability to perform daily tasks, such as basic hygiene, missing appointments, or not cleaning up after themselves.
-Unexplained aches and pains.
Some actions people can do to help a family member or friend that is struggling with mental health are:
-Express your concern and willingness to listen, reassure them that you care about them.
-Use "I" statements. For example, use "I am worried about you," or "I would like you to consider talking with a counselor," rather than "You are," or "You should.”
-Try to show patience and caring and not be judgmental of their thoughts and actions.
- Listen; don't disregard or challenge the person's feelings.
-Encourage them to talk to a mental health professional or their primary care provider.
-For some people, it may be helpful to compare the situation to a physical health concern and how they would respond. For example, if there was a concern about diabetes or high blood pressure, would they be likely to seek medical care?
-Remind them that seeking help is a sign of strength.
In order to improve one's own mental health, several suggestions are made by Mental Health America.
-Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine, and apply sunscreen. Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.
-Smile. It may not be the easiest thing to do, but smiling can help to lower your heart rate and calm you down.
-Work your strengths. Do something you're good at to build self-confidence, then tackle a tougher task.
-Send a thank you note to show your appreciation for someone.
-Take 30 minutes to go for a walk in nature. Research shows that being in nature can increase energy levels, reduce depression and boost well-being.
-Take time to laugh. Watch your favorite comedy or hang out with a funny friend. Laughter helps reduce anxiety.
-Track gratitude and accomplishments by writing down three things you are grateful for and three things you accomplished each day.
According to George, “as people age, we can experience new things and different obstacles. Some have mentally exhausting or draining obstacles that they face, and this can take a toll on one’s mental health.
"Often, depression and anxiety come about by a significant life change. Feelings of sadness, guilt, hopelessness, or worthlessness occur due to some of these common older adult life transitions.
"Retirement, kids growing older with their own families, your physical abilities are different than they used to be, potential new home environment, losing loved ones, feeling more dependent on others for care. As we grow older, we experience more of these life transitions, and often they can be painful and more complex.”
To George, as we compare older adulthood to the previous chapters in our lives, many changes that had occurred are things we initiated.
As we get into later adulthood, it is much more likely that some of the things we experience are because of involuntary circumstances. “Change is hard even it we initiate those changes ourselves,” George says.
“It is significantly different from having change forced upon us and all of the other experiences we did not anticipate.
“Discussing issues you notice as you age is so important, especially if this is something an individual has experienced over a long period of time,” George states. “If sadness is all you have ever experienced, then how would you know you needed help?
"Symptoms of depression and anxiety often go unnoticed or overlooked, and even the person experiencing these feelings may think this is a normal part of aging. There is a large population of the elderly, and these adults need to know that they don't have to feel this way; it doesn't have to become their ‘norm,’” George continued. In fact, according to a recent study done by MHA, about 58% of people aged 65 and older believe it is “normal” for people to get depressed as they grow older. “We want you to know there are ways to restore your quality of life,” George affirms.
“The Mercy Cassville Hospital’s program, Senior Life Solutions, is committed to providing care to the local community. We are available to answer questions about mental health, provide educational presentations, or provide information about the program to community members,” George concludes.
To get involved with Senior Life Solutions, people may contact 417-847-6042.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, May 2022, addressing the importance of mental health, as well as knowing where one can get help is essential. Local options exist, but are rarely taken advantage of.
Karen George, a behavioral health professional at the Mercy Hospital in Cassville, specializes in a program called Senior Life Solutions. According to George, this program stems directly from the local Cassville Hospital. “We are a Mercy Hospital program designed to meet the unique needs of individuals typically 65 and older experiencing depression or anxiety related to life changes that are often associated with aging.
As the program director, I am responsible for directing and coordinating the activities of program staff to ensure quality patient care and providing community education to create awareness of the program.”
George has an equipped team to help her serve the community’s needs.
“On our team is program therapist Pamela Smith, LCSW, who provides therapy to our patients through group, individual, and family sessions, and our office patient coordinator, who provides quality administrative and clerical services for the program and patient support.”
Defined by the CDC, "Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.
Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood."
The importance of mental health and how big of an impact it has is why Mental Health Awareness Month first became established.
According to Mental Health America (MHA), in 1949, Mental Health Week was introduced, which eventually became Mental Health Month, to help "educate Americans about mental illness and mental health."
Each year, organizations and programs like Senior Life Solutions come together to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, help improve access to care, educate communities on signs and symptoms, and highlight mental health progress globally.
There are multiple things that you can do to be involved during Mental Health Awareness Month. A clinician from Senior Life Solutions can provide a confidential assessment to determine if you or a loved one are eligible for the program. Services offered by Mercy Hospital Cassville's Senior Life Solutions include a confidential, comprehensive assessment, group and individual therapy, family therapy, medication education and management, and after-care planning, where the organization continues to engage and support the participants. Even though this is a group setting, according to George, each person will individually get their unique needs addressed.
Second, you can coordinate a book club with friends to discuss a book on mental health. Also, have regular check-ins with family and friends to see how they are doing. You can use that as an outlet also.
Additionally, people can learn the signs and symptoms to watch for if a friend or family member is in crisis.
Identifying the signs that indicate someone is struggling with mental health is essential. Some signs to look for include:
-Changes in sleep or eating patterns increase or decrease.
-Expressed feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, or wanting to “just give up.”
-Frequent trips to the doctor or Emergency Department for unexplained illness.
-Frequent yelling and fighting with family or friends.
-Little to no energy.
-Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
-Mood swings.
-Inability to perform daily tasks, such as basic hygiene, missing appointments, or not cleaning up after themselves.
-Unexplained aches and pains.
Some actions people can do to help a family member or friend that is struggling with mental health are:
-Express your concern and willingness to listen, reassure them that you care about them.
-Use "I" statements. For example, use "I am worried about you," or "I would like you to consider talking with a counselor," rather than "You are," or "You should.”
-Try to show patience and caring and not be judgmental of their thoughts and actions.
- Listen; don't disregard or challenge the person's feelings.
-Encourage them to talk to a mental health professional or their primary care provider.
-For some people, it may be helpful to compare the situation to a physical health concern and how they would respond. For example, if there was a concern about diabetes or high blood pressure, would they be likely to seek medical care?
-Remind them that seeking help is a sign of strength.
In order to improve one's own mental health, several suggestions are made by Mental Health America.
-Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine, and apply sunscreen. Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.
-Smile. It may not be the easiest thing to do, but smiling can help to lower your heart rate and calm you down.
-Work your strengths. Do something you're good at to build self-confidence, then tackle a tougher task.
-Send a thank you note to show your appreciation for someone.
-Take 30 minutes to go for a walk in nature. Research shows that being in nature can increase energy levels, reduce depression and boost well-being.
-Take time to laugh. Watch your favorite comedy or hang out with a funny friend. Laughter helps reduce anxiety.
-Track gratitude and accomplishments by writing down three things you are grateful for and three things you accomplished each day.
According to George, “as people age, we can experience new things and different obstacles. Some have mentally exhausting or draining obstacles that they face, and this can take a toll on one’s mental health.
"Often, depression and anxiety come about by a significant life change. Feelings of sadness, guilt, hopelessness, or worthlessness occur due to some of these common older adult life transitions.
"Retirement, kids growing older with their own families, your physical abilities are different than they used to be, potential new home environment, losing loved ones, feeling more dependent on others for care. As we grow older, we experience more of these life transitions, and often they can be painful and more complex.”
To George, as we compare older adulthood to the previous chapters in our lives, many changes that had occurred are things we initiated.
As we get into later adulthood, it is much more likely that some of the things we experience are because of involuntary circumstances. “Change is hard even it we initiate those changes ourselves,” George says.
“It is significantly different from having change forced upon us and all of the other experiences we did not anticipate.
“Discussing issues you notice as you age is so important, especially if this is something an individual has experienced over a long period of time,” George states. “If sadness is all you have ever experienced, then how would you know you needed help?
"Symptoms of depression and anxiety often go unnoticed or overlooked, and even the person experiencing these feelings may think this is a normal part of aging. There is a large population of the elderly, and these adults need to know that they don't have to feel this way; it doesn't have to become their ‘norm,’” George continued. In fact, according to a recent study done by MHA, about 58% of people aged 65 and older believe it is “normal” for people to get depressed as they grow older. “We want you to know there are ways to restore your quality of life,” George affirms.
“The Mercy Cassville Hospital’s program, Senior Life Solutions, is committed to providing care to the local community. We are available to answer questions about mental health, provide educational presentations, or provide information about the program to community members,” George concludes.
To get involved with Senior Life Solutions, people may contact 417-847-6042.
