Snohomish County program helps seniors cope with depression

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 16, 2017

By Megan Brown

Special to The Herald

For some seniors, the Golden Years aren’t always sunny.

Health issues, social isolation and decreased independence can trigger depression.

Homage Senior Services offers a program to help identify and treat symptoms of depression. It offers mental health resources and short-term one-on-one, in-home counseling sessions. The program, funded by Snohomish County and the federal government, is free for Snohomish County residents 60 and older who live in their own home or in an assisted living community.

A loss of good health or friendships might make losing happiness seem inevitable.

Richard Robinson, director of wellness and mental health at Homage Senior Services, challenges people to rethink that assumption.

“The refrain that we always use is, ‘Depression is not a normal part of aging.’ There is this belief in this community that as we age and our health declines and we have losses, we expect to not be as happy as we used to be. A large part of our goal is combatting that myth.”

Olivia Bowker, a mental health specialist with Homage, is the program’s intake coordinator. “I try to get to know the client and their story,” she said.

She’s contacted by clients as well as friends and family members who might be concerned about a senior developing depression.

Bowker, who has worked with clients of almost every age range, says that several factors make seniors more vulnerable to depression. “There’s a lot more going on and potentially working against them,” she said. This age group often has different barriers, health issues or chronic pain making them isolated.

“This might foster feelings of depression or anxiety.” Bowler said.

“Oftentimes, people are hesitant to receive services,” she said. “It’s not a huge commitment, but it’s a way to get them started talking about their own experiences.”

Christine Vervitsiotis is the lead counselor for the program. She facilitates the counseling sessions and helps clients develop strategies for mental health treatment.

An initial appointment involves a home visit, where she has a conversation with the client about their situation and helps them complete a 30-question depression screening.

As they answer questions, she looks for indications of depression: a loss of pleasure from or interest in activities that they once enjoyed; feeling down or hopeless.

A combination of counseling and medication has been shown to be the most effective treatment. With a client’s permission, counselors share the results of the screening with the client’s health provider. This can be helpful for patients who are reluctant to bring up depression with their doctor.

“Older adults are less likely to question authority, and doctors are sort of authority figures,” Robinson said. “So they’re a little quieter in office visits.”

The main objective of the geriatric depression screening program is to give seniors a better understanding of their symptoms and to connect them to the outside world.

Short-term counseling gives clients the opportunity to share their story in a confiednetial and njonjudmental space. “Sometimes just talking about what is going on is helpful,” Vervitsiotis said.

Counselors also help clilents find ways to change their perception of the situation and to develop strategies to improve their mood.

After the final counseling session with Homage, the client is given the same depression screening questionnaire. On that test, the lower the score, the better, said Robinson. “We’re hoping to see a pretty significant point drop, and usually it is pretty significant.

“If it’s not, then we refer them back to our mental health intake worker.”

Homage also offers a peer-to-peer counseling program. Seniors enroll as volunteers to meet weekly with other seniors. They undergo extensive training to learn how to emotionally support their peers.

“In a lot of ways, finishing the depression program makes graduating on to peer counseling a great fit,” Vervitsiotis said.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this screening program, contact Olivia Bowker, 425-290-1260, or email obowker@homage.org.