Geriatric Mental Health
Psychiatry, Therapy Services & TMS Therapy Providers located in Rio Rancho, Los Lunas and Albuquerque, NM
Geriatric mental health offers specialized support and treatment for older people struggling with emotional problems and psychiatric disorders. Guadalupe Psychiatric and Mental Health Services in Los Lunas, Albuquerque, and Rio Rancho, New Mexico, provides comprehensive geriatric mental health care. The practice’s devoted mental health team offers full-spectrum care for older people that promotes better health in later life. Call Guadalupe Psychiatric and Mental Health Services today or book a consultation online to benefit from exceptional geriatric mental health services.
Geriatric mental health focuses on emotional and behavioral problems experienced by older people.
In many respects, these problems are the same or similar to the challenges mental health disorders cause in people of any age. But older people are particularly vulnerable to certain conditions, and their risk factors are higher for many others.
Older people often struggle with mental health conditions, including:
Lifelong psychiatric illnesses like bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) don’t go away in later life, and symptoms may worsen even when they’ve been well-controlled for years. You’re also more likely to experience grief in older age if you outlive friends and family.
Risk factors for geriatric mental health conditions include:
As you age, you’re more likely to develop chronic health problems such as osteoarthritis, Type 2 diabetes, sight and hearing loss, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. These disorders limit your mobility and strength and cause chronic pain.
The increased health problems older age brings requires many people to take multiple medications, some causing side effects and increasing vulnerability to emotional problems. Others — particularly prescription painkillers — can lead to substance misuse and addiction.
If you had psychiatric problems when you were younger, you’re more likely to have geriatric mental health problems.
Many people become lonely and socially isolated in older age. Their partner may have passed on, and they might live some distance from their children who lead busy lives and visit infrequently. Many older people have no family or friends to support them, and problems with mobility make it more difficult to form new friendships.
Disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia, are also more likely to develop in later life.
The Guadalupe Psychiatric and Mental Health Services team offers a range of geriatric mental health services, including:
The team can also offer support to help you overcome issues like social isolation.
Call Guadalupe Psychiatric and Mental Health Services today or book an appointment online to benefit from expert geriatric mental health care delivered with respect.