CONCLUSION

Elizabeth, Vernon, Maria, Roberto, Mignonne, David, Kenneth, Rosalee, Patty, Lisa, and Bertha generously shared stories with us about their very personal experiences. They did so because they hope it will raise awareness about mental health issues faced by older adults and ultimately help others who struggle with depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, complicated grief, delirium, and other mental illnesses.

As funders, health care providers, families and caregivers, health policy makers, and academicians, we can’t let them down. The discouraging statistics about assessment and treatment of mental illnesses in older adults highlighted in this report can and must be recognized.

We hope this report inspires health care practitioners, policy makers, and funders to be attuned to the issues of mental health in older adults. We also hope that this report provides some information and resources to help identify mental illness and find appropriate treatment.

conclusion “Older people are an invaluable resource for the society in terms of their wealth of experience and wisdom,” says Hartford grantee Dr. Dilip Jeste. Therefore, we must do a better job of improving both physical and mental health care for our aging society.