Seniors And Mental Health: How to Support an Aging Loved One

As much as you may want to, you cannot help your loved one all on your own. While you may be able to provide some emotional support, mental health experts and medical professionals are trained to identify and create treatment plans for all sorts of mental health issues. To start, encourage your loved one to see their primary care provider. Primary care providers are equipped to treat the whole person, knowing that the physical affects the mental and vice versa. They can help establish the right care plan specific to peoples' unique needs, whether that's identifying lifestyle changes, finding a therapist or coach, or prescribing medication.

If your loved one is hesitant to seek professional support, it can help to draw the comparison between mental healthcare and physical healthcare. Remind them that it's just as important to seek care for mental health issues as it is to be treated for physical conditions like broken bones or diabetes.

Your loved one may lack the motivation to take these steps or may not feel well enough to do so, so try to remove as many barriers as possible. Offer to help book their appointment, reach out to potential therapists or check their insurance coverage. It may even be helpful to attend your loved one's appointment, if it's okay with them, especially if you've noticed symptoms. "If it feels right to the patient, we try to engage family members and friends in their care", says Markman. "It's another layer of support and connection for the patient, and it helps us partner with the patient to determine what will be most helpful."

In the process, don't forget to take care of yourself too - you play a crucial role in your loved one's well being, and sometimes that means you need a break. "I always use the oxygen mask analogy," Downey says. "You need to take care of yourself in order to help someone else."

At One Medical, we believe your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Our suite of behavioral health services, Mindset by One Medical, is included as part of our standard, comprehensive primary care membership and our providers can effectively screen, diagnose, and treat everything from day-to-day stress to major depression.

Have more questions about managing your mental health? Our primary care team is here to help. Schedule a mental health visit with one of our primary care providers today.