Geriatric News

Free Webcast: Shades of Grey: Depression & dispiritedness in older adults

Free Webcast: Shades of Grey: Depression & dispiritedness in older adults.
Beginning Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Follow this link anytime to access the 30-minute webcast: www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults

Would you be surprised to learn that in a survey done of adults 65 and older, almost 60 percent believed that depression goes hand in hand with aging—and is not a factor affecting health status?

On average, approximately 15 percent of the older adult population is depressed, with 65 to 75 percent of those cases being treatable. In screening studies done across various care settings, the rates are significantly higher:

medical outpatient: 24%
acute care: 30%
long term care: up to 43%
emergency departments: 33%

While many factors do put the elderly at risk for depression, it is not a normal component of aging—nor does it manifest in the same way as in those who are younger. Screening and treating depression can make significant improvements in chronic health conditions, quality of life, and utilization and cost of care. But screening is not routinely done.

Screening for depression is far simpler than many perceive. In fact, many tools exist which can be self-administered while waiting for appointments, and new models of care for depression can dramatically reduce the incidence and improve overall health status. This program discusses the importance and benefits of screening for and treating depression; many of the screening tools available; and highlights the success of project IMPACT (Improving Mood: Promoting Access to Collaborative Care).

This program will remain available, on demand, through 2006.

This is the ninth in a series of 18 Webcasts and is a collaborative effort among the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and Trinity Healthforce Learning, sponsored in part through a grant from both Atlantic Philanthropies. The broadcast series is designed to provide information and skills to improve the care and well-being of older adults. If you have any questions about the broadcast (or the associated print series), please contact Katherine Kany, Project Manager, at 703-729-6050 or katherinekany@adelphia.net.

Last updated - June 2006