A 2024 report by Brookings Institution finds older adults are particularly prone to depression, dementia, and anxiety. For non-Hispanic Black adults, these risks are even higher. Women are more likely to experience mental illness, while men have a higher likelihood of substance use disorders. Mental health challenges persist in older populations, and it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure adequate protections. Caring for older adults should not be limited to treatment alone but should also focus on prevention and systemic support. Creating age-friendly communities benefits not only senior citizens but every generation. It is vital that all generations are supported.
According to AARP’s National 2024 Home and Community Preferences survey, 75% of adults aged fifty and up prefer to live at home, and 73% wish to stay in their own communities. However, financial barriers and existing housing policies hinder most senior citizens from being able to do so. The rising costs of rent or mortgage and other housing fees pressure many residents to relocate. In a time when physical and cognitive abilities decline, a familiar environment can help aging adults feel safe and reassured. The growing shortage of caregivers also intensifies this issue. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the caregiver workforce has dramatically declined due to high rates of exhaustion and burnout among workers. Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 400,000 nursing home and assisted living staff have quit since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic because they felt overworked. Spectrum New York reported on the home care worker shortage. Additionally, older adults face accessibility challenges in attending events and social gatherings, worsening the already existing loneliness epidemic among aging adults.
However, there is good news about the support being provided to older adults in regards to mental health. We know there are ways to support our aging loved ones at a personal level. This includes enhancing our own knowledge and literacy by taking a training, such as Mental Health First Aid for older adults. Another way is spending time with our loved ones. We all lead busy lives with constant demands on our time, but carving out time is the most precious gift. Loneliness is an epidemic in the nation across all ages, but particularly for our elders. According to an 2020 article published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, one-third of elders stated they have experienced social isolation. Additionally, as reported in a 2021 article, social isolation and loneliness have been attributed to increasing mortality rates, with 162,000 lives lost among the elderly per year due to these factors.
While some progress has been made in geriatric mental health, we are at a critical moment of time. The Master Plan for Aging, a 10-year plan led by Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), has exemplified the ways in which older adults can better be supported by the State. Since its announcement in 2023, it has greatly advanced this work by collecting feedback through surveys, hundreds of hours of meetings, work groups, and public meetings. The final report is over three hundred pages that covers nine broad areas and includes over one hundred proposals. These proposals include a caregiver certification process and the introduction of a care mandate that encompasses mental, behavioral, and physical health plans. The plan also includes proposals that urge the expansion of home care health services, Medicaid waivers, and public education campaigns about mental health. This framework provides a foundation for future policy decisions and encourages legislative leaders and constituents to continue to advocate for supports and resources that sustain the health and mental health of our loved ones as they grow older.
