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Older
Americans Mental Health: Call for Parity in Medicare
Twenty percent of older Americans have a diagnosable mental illness
yet research shows that fewer than one in four are fortunate enough
to get any mental health attention, let alone appropriate care.
One alarming fact stands out: older adults have the highest suicide
rate of any age group.
Mistaken assumptions about mental health and aging have serious
implications for older adults, especially women. “Too many
American’s mistakenly believe mental illness is a normal part
of aging,” said Laurie Young, Ph.D., executive director of
Older Women's
League (OWL). “Older women disproportionately suffer the
consequences of undiagnosed and untreated mental illness. Throughout
their lives women are more likely than men to experience depression,
for example. We live six years longer than men, on average, further
expanding the possibility of undiagnosed illness. And as caregivers,
midlife and older women often cope with undiagnosed and untreated
mental health disorders in others.”
“Older Americans, family members, caregivers,
neighbors and friends need to know that mental illnesses among the
elderly are real, common and treatable. They need to know the difference
between healthy grieving over losses and unhealthy depression, between
normal worries and anxiety disorders, and between normal drinking
and abuse of alcohol and medications to dull emotional pain,”
said Young.
Current policy does not promote either understanding
or the mental health of older Americans. Currently, when an older
person goes to a doctor for treatment of a physical illness, Medicare
pays 80% of the bill, and the patient is responsible for 20%. However,
when that same person seeks help for a mental illness, Medicare
pays only 50 percent of the bill, leaving 50% for the patient to
pay. Because many seniors live on a fixed budget, and the Medicare
program itself does not prioritize mental health diagnosis and treatment,
many simply go without needed mental health care.
Ignoring mental health is expensive. Research shows
that when an older person’s physical illness is complicated
by a mental illness like depression, they have more visits to primary
care physicians, use more medications, and are more likely to have
emergency room or hospital admissions. Their treatment outcomes
are worse. For example, rehabilitation from a hip fracture or a
heart attack is less successful and more expensive when complicated
by depression.
Please remember that:
- Mental illness is not a normal part of aging.
- Mental illnesses are real, common and treatable.
- The more you know about mental health and aging, the more you
can help yourself and others.
- Mentally healthy adults continue to learn, grow, thrive, enjoy
life and contribute to society.
- Public policy should promote mental health among the aging,
not discriminate illness.
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