The Upper Island Geriatric Outreach Team
The Upper Island Geriatric Outreach Program provides a multidisciplinary, comprehensive, individualized psychiatric consultation service for the residents and health care providers of North Vancouver Island.
Elderly Outreach Service
The Elderly Outreach Service (EOS) is an interdisciplinary community mental health program for seniors that started as part of the Victoria Health Project in 1989. The program serves the Greater Victoria area of BC including the southern gulf islands, Salt Spring, Galiano, North and South Pender, Mayne and Saturna — a region where about 19% of the population is over 65 years of age.
In Search of Meaning
Dementia is an acquired illness that affects the functioning of a once-normal brain. As a nurse with the Elderly Outreach Service, my focus is to assist staff in providing care for seniors who are presenting with challenging behaviours due to dementia as well as other mental health challenges.
The Geropsychiatric Education Program
The Geropsychiatric Education Program (GPEP), an education service of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, would be quick to respond to this request. They would assist the staff to do a resident care review, exploring the resident’s behaviour in relationship to her physical and mental health diagnoses, her personal history, the physical environment and the staff’s approach.
Seniors' Mental Health
PDF | No. 15 (2002)
Background
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Editor's Message
(Eric Macnaughton) -
The State of Seniors' Health in British Columbia
((guest editorial) Martha Donnelly)
Seniors and Depression Series
The Seniors and Depression series from the Mood Disorders Association of BC helps older adults and loved ones recognize signs of depression and seek help. Depression is not a normal part of aging, so it’s important to take depression seriously at any age.
Seniors and Depression: Information for friends and family
Have you noticed that your senior loved one seems unhappy or more anxious, irritable or moody? Maybe you notice that they are quieter than they once were and have stopped doing things they were once interested in.
Seniors and Depression: Suicide information
Seniors are at greater risk of suicide than are younger people. The British Columbia Crisis Centre indicates that, “Statistics tell us that older adults, particularly older males, have high rates of suicide."
Seniors and Depression: The difference between depression and dementia
Depression is a mood disorder; dementias like Alzheimer’s disease, can have similar symptoms but they are different illnesses and have different treatment plans. It’s important to know what to look for to help determine what illness you might be dealing with. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis however so if you experience any of the symptoms of either illness see your doctor right away.
Seniors and Depression: Concerns about medications
Although anti-depressant medications have been around for years, there are still a great number of misconceptions about how they work and the effects they have; antidepressants have always been as effective as they are now but newer medications may have less side effects.
