Mental Health Concerns and The Older Adult
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● Show empathy for those with mental illness. ● Be honest about treatment (normalize mental health treatment). The healthcare worker can educate family, friends, and caregivers about par- ticipating in normalizing mental health-
care for the older adult. Table 1 presents communication suggestions the health- care worker can pass on to family, friends, or caregivers of the older adult suffering from mental illness. Words are power- ful, so encourage others to choose them wisely.
Table 1. Anyone Can Say This and Not That to Reduce Stigma Say This Not That
“Thanks for sharing with me.”
“That’s not that bad.”
“Can I help you in any way?”
“You can do it.”
“That sounds really difficult.”
“Life moves on.”
“I’m here for you.”
“That happens to everyone.”
“That sounds heavy and sad.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”
“I can’t imagine. Tell me more.”
“I know all about that.”
“How are you feeling?”
“You’ve got to think happy thoughts.”
Determinant 3: Neighborhood and built environment The physical place where someone re- sides contributes to their overall health and safety. Those at highest risk for un- safe or unhealthy environments in the U.S. are ethnic and racial minorities (CDC, 2022b). Examples of negative impacts on health and safety are neighborhoods with high crime rates or environments close to pollution sources. A client’s physical environment falls into the social and de- velopmental history of the mental health assessment. Homelessness falls into this social determinant and would require additional assessment and coordination of care. The depth a healthcare provid-
er should reach will depend on the client and their individual living situation. Clar- ity of a client’s physical health and safety can also be obtained with client consent by interviewing and family, friends, or caregivers. Determinant 4: Social and community context Relationships and social support play crucial roles for the older adult. Lack of social support and decreased or absent significant relationships negatively im - pact mental health in the older adult (Ha- randi et al., 2017). A healthcare worker can assess this social determinant in the social and developmental history of the mental health assessment. Older adults
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