Life produces many challenges—changes, losses and different degrees of stress. Counseling can help prevent small problems from becoming larger as well as give you new skills to cope. But many older adults who could benefit from counseling, do not seek help. Reasons for this trend include:
• The need for counseling is not recognized by the senior.
• Seniors often hide feelings of depression and anxiety from their family, friends and doctors.
• Seniors who are homebound or have financial limitations are not reached.
Senior Counseling offered by Senior Services, is designed to overcome these obstacles and help those who could benefit from counseling receive the help they need. Senior Services specializes with helping and serving older adults and understands that they are faced with many challenges and concerns specific to growing older such as:
• The death of a partner and close friends
• Caring for a spouse with dementia
• Losing a beloved home with a move to senior housing
• Memory loss
• The loss of independent functioning
• Health problems
• Decline of vision or hearing
• Lack of social connections
Sometimes these situations can cause excessive worrying, frustration, low energy, loss of concentration and extreme loneliness and sadness. Many times seniors assume these symptoms are a normal part of aging and don’t seek help.
Life experiences such as these can dramatically effect the emotional well-being of any elderly person. Even people who have led cheerful, satisfying lives can become overwhelmed when faced with so many difficult health issues and losses.
How Can Counseling at Senior Services Help You?
Discussing a problem with a caring, professional counselor can really make a difference. It can help you work through your feelings, recognize your strengths, consider alternatives, learn new coping skills and redirect your life toward greater meaning and purpose. The Senior Services Counseling Program can help you to:
• Deal with life’s changes
• Resolve family conflict
• Manage stress
Take the First Step
If you or someone you know could benefit from counseling call Senior Services at 633-3700.
