America’s elderly population is growing, and so is the number of older adults with mental health needs. According to the American Psychological Association, between 20 and 25 percent of adults aged 65 and older have a mental health disorder. Yet reports show only a small fraction are receiving the kind of specialized professional care they need. This hour, we take a closer look at why that is, and what’s being done to make mental health services more accessible to older Americans. We also find out what some new research says about the relationship between stress and the development of a pre-Alzheimer's condition in seniors.
Are you an older adult? Do you have an elderly friend or family member? What mental health questions are on your mind?
GUESTS:
- Elizabeth Ritter - Commissioner of Connecticut’s State Department on Aging
- Dr. Jonathan Greenberg - Consultation liaison psychiatrist at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford
- Ed Mercadante, R.Ph - CEO of MedOptions, a behavioral health service provider based in Old Saybrook, Connecticut
- Dr. Richard Lipton - Professor of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; director of the Einstein Aging Study
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Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
