Sometimes the programs and meeting topics can sound clinical, but people like Lola McCloud put a human face on efforts to provide practical assistance for older Americans facing mental health questions.

McCloud had just turned 55 when her husband died. Although she had faced bouts of depression for five years, the loss put her in a melancholy she couldn’t shake, including crying spells and a strong aversion to other people.

“I didn’t want to be around anyone,” she recalled. “I didn’t want to be by myself, but if I was in a grocery store and saw someone I knew, I’d turn around and go down another isle.” Other times, she would get in her car and just drive, as much to be alone as to actually go anywhere.

The symptoms finally became so severe she mentioned it to her family physician, who diagnosed her with depression and prescribed medication that helps her deal with it. “I talked to her and she diagnosed it almost immediately,” McCloud recalls today. “She prescribed some medication that I take when I feel I really need it. It’s not something I need all the time, but it helps.”

Many who know McCloud are surprised at the story. Although she’s now 72, she continues to work part-time with Northland Neighborhoods, inc., coordinating the agency’s programs for other older adults. Quick witted and ready with humor, her days in the office include lively banter with co-workers and visitors.

“I have good days and bad days, but I’m handling it well,” she explains. “There are always people who are worse off, and it’s a lot better than trying to ignore it.”

Unfortunately, many people—including a high number of older adults—do try to ignore mental health. In a recent study, Tri-County Mental Health Services found that those 65 and older made dramatically less use of available services, a problem that is being addressed with a series of efforts designed especially for older residents in Clay, Platte and Ray counties.

“We found that there are thousands of older adults in Kansas City, North that are tackling issues like depression or anxiety related to major life changes and we can provide a little help,” explained Sally King, Tri-County Older Adult Care coordinator. “It’s a ‘silent population’ that often needs reassuring that it’s okay to ask for help.”

These programs began with Tri-County’s founding the Aging and Mental Health Coalition of Kansas City North and include topical events like free screenings throughout the Northland during Older Americans’ Mental Health Week, May 25-31.

“For many, the stigma of admitting they need help keeps them from calling me or even speaking to their primary care physician about their symptoms,” King noted. “But depression is not a normal part of aging. It’s very treatable, and, according to research, older adults can overcome this brain disease to live a very meaningful life in their later years, just as well as any other population group!”

McCloud puts it even more directly. “To me, it’s like any other sickness,” she concluded. “If you want to feel good, then you go get help. It’s easy.”

For more information on Tri-County’s Older Adult Care program, its services or scheduled events, contact Sally King, LCSW, at (816) 877-0453 or e-mail sallyk@tri-countymhs.org.