Services for Older Adults Improve in the Northland

A wide range of activities for older adults and those who help care for them resulted from efforts by the Older Adult Health and Mental Wellness Program sponsored by Tri-County Mental Health Services.

“There was a significant increase in programs through the end of 2010,” noted Sally King, Tri-County’s older adult services coordinator. “A lot of this came through networking and collaboration. The result brought more programs for older adults.”

Collaboration took on several forms. For example, King worked with nearly every hospital in the area, providing training for medical and other staff to increase their capabilities in dealing with the Northland’s older adults. Jane Bartlett, Ray County Senior Services Board administrator, cited extensive work there.

“This shows great success for the limited funding for Ray County seniors and their caregivers at all levels,” Bartlett noted.

A story at a Northland hospital was a good example. After a staff training, the hospital’s social worker approached King and inquired about a female older adult client who had been hospitalized multiple times over the past year for falls and severe depression. The social worker was unaware of TCMHS’s ability to provide in-home assessment when necessary. King was able to make immediate contact with the client and scheduled an in-home mental health assessment. The client was referred for both in-home therapy services and psychiatry.

“The older adult client was very grateful that she could receive most of her services in home,” King said. “The hospital social worker was relieved to know that this client was getting the help she desperately needed and deserved. It was a win-win result.”

The year-end reports for both Clay and Ray counties revealed other successes. King made numerous presentations such as a talk on healthy living at the Ray County Senior Center, and a senior housing center in Clay County. There also were presentations to professionals about substance abuse among older adults or presentations requested by professional and community groups were only a few examples.

The professional efforts involve additional training and networking for older adult caregivers. King in fact founded the Aging and Mental Health Coalition of Kansas City North. The program continues to offer regionally recognized programs on everything from psychiatry for older adults to ethics discussions about end-of-life decisions.

“The goal is to increase the awareness of services that are available for older adults and to help fill any gaps that we find,” King concluded. “It’s gratifying to see that even in the past six months, we’ve continued to make this much headway.”

For more information on Tri-County’s Older Adult programs and outreach, contact Sally King at (816) 877-0453 or email sallyk@tri-countymhs.org.

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