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More seniors struggling with mental health
FOX 13's Jordan Bowen spoke with a licensed clinician about the approach to helping seniors struggling with mental health issues.
TAMPA - For some Florida seniors, the mere thought of seeking help can be overwhelming.
"They think if you go see a psychiatrist or a psychologist, it's a problem," licensed clinical social worker Elmira Ruiz said.
The need is there. According to the American Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry, about 20 percent of people 55 and older experience some type of mental health concern.
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"If someone maybe has barriers for transportation that's going to exacerbate feelings of being isolated," Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Director of Clinical Services Patricia Townsend said.
Ruiz has been providing mental health counseling to seniors for the last 15 years. She says many struggle with grief, loneliness and stress from medical or financial issues.
"I try to have a different approach to them because, yes, there is a big stigma. They always say 'I'm not crazy' and I say ‘well you need social and emotional support,’" Ruiz said.
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For those ready to accept help, waiting lists can be long, services can be expensive and, according to a study by the publication Healthcare Innovation, only about a third of the behavioral healthcare workforce accepts Medicare.
That's why online therapy company Talkspace announced plans to expand their services to all 33 million traditional Medicare members in 11 states, including Florida's 5 million Medicare enrollees. Ruiz is hopeful but worries about her clients with vision and hearing impairments.
"Some of them are really basically afraid of computers. They don't know how to navigate the computers. They don't know what to click; how to click," Ruiz said.
Talkspace works by matching Medicare enrollees with a Florida-licensed therapist via live one-on-one video. All that's needed is a smartphone, tablet or computer and a Wi-Fi connection. However, Ruiz says of her 40 clients, only about half have access to Wi-Fi.
"It probably may be great for some people, but it would be probably a very small percentage. Telehealth for this population, it's going to be very, very challenging," Ruiz said.
Talkspace released a statement during their expansion announcement saying they expanded their network of qualified providers and built infrastructure to meet Medicare claim requirements with the goal of making the experience seamless.
A reminder for those without access to internet, help is always available through the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay by calling 211.
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