Melanie Pheatt knows that there’s no magic age when life’s problems disappear or suddenly become manageable without help. Her job is helping the over-65 population overcome those problems or barriers.
Pheatt is therapist and aging specialist in adult services in Lyon and Morris counties through the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas. As such, she counsels older individuals to help them cope with not only the mental health problems that arise, but the everyday problems that can make life stressful during the aging process.
“I so much enjoy this population because of the richness of experience they have,” Pheatt said. “I really consider it a privilege to work with (them) because of that wealth of knowledge and ways they have faced things; you can really work with them.”
The program was developed through the Kansas Mental Health and Aging Coalition and modeled on programs developed at Prairie View in Johnson County. Although her specialty is relatively new and only beginning to spread nationwide, Pheatt has been on the job in Emporia for more than a year.
“It is newer and there are still not that many around the state,” Pheatt said. “I’m certainly glad that we’re in the forefront in this area.”
Pheatt said there are a variety of causes for the depression, anxiety or other mental health issues that confront the aging population.
Aging individuals can be overwhelmed with worries about the future and what it holds, and losing independence is a primary concern for many.
With consent from her clients or their authorized representatives, Pheatt works with health-care providers, caregivers and agencies that provide in-home services from meals to health care to housekeeping.
Mental-health issues also can be complicated by health problems, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, strokes and more. Medications can present problems, especially if more than one pharmacy is supplying medications.
“Certainly it’s not unusual for somebody who’s older to be taking more medications than a younger person might,” Pheatt said. “The other thing that we know is that medications are metabolizing differently in an older person than they are in a younger person. Just the same as we would do with anybody, we want to make sure that we are paying close attention to any and every factor that would influence symptoms and treatment.”
For older people, there often are multiple losses that cause frustration and depression. Anniversary dates of deaths can be difficult for everyone; for older people, the frequency of those dates may have snowballed — losses of spouses, siblings, friends and even younger relatives. Other major losses contribute to the feelings of depression and anxiety.
“People may have to move out of their homes into assisted living or into a nursing home; they may have lost a spouse, lost the ability to drive,” she said. “Maybe they had a pet that they’re not able to care for or able to have in that facility.”
The fact that elderly people have coped with those lifetime milestones along the way does not guarantee they can withstand the accumulated milestones without a little help.
“People sometimes feel, ‘I shouldn’t have to ask for any help. I should be able to handle this the same way I’ve handled everything else,’” she said. “... Part of what we’re hoping to do is to reduce the stigma and to help people be aware that these conditions are treatable and very often respond very nicely to treatment.”
The treatment often can be helpful for caregivers, too.
“All of those things kind of weaving in together can make it feel more complicated for the person,” Pheatt said. “It’s honorable work and we respect that and it can be truly exhausting for the caregiver. We want caregivers to know that certainly it would be all right for them to come in and do some self-care.
“One of the unfortunate statistics for caregivers is that they sometimes die before the person that they’re caring for,” she said. “I understand what calls a person to that caregiving, but it’s so important also for them to be caring for themselves.”
Initiating help for the patient or the caregiver can be as simple as a brief telephone call. Pheatt said she can talk with the caller about his or her goals and needs and determine whether services would be helpful and what kind would be needed.
In-home services are available for people who are not able to come to the center.
The center accepts Medicare and Medicaid as well as some insurance, and has a sliding payment scale for people who do not have access to any of those providers.
“There is no charge for a brief phone conversation,” Pheatt added.
The telephone number is 343-2211 in Emporia and (620) 767-7133 in Council Grove. Because she may be working with a client, callers may need to leave a voice message, which Pheatt said she will return as promptly as possible.