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Working Toward Employment: A Journey of Growth and Support
As a young woman, Lisa was told that she would never work. She suffers from serious mental illness and has experienced multiple traumas during her lifetime. Now 59 years old, she lives in a supportive group home and is a participant in the Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) program at...
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Older Adults and Substance Misuse: Hiding in Plain Sight
Last winter “Lucy,” an 87-year-old woman, was referred to Service Program for Older People (SPOP) by her primary care doctor. Lucy’s husband had died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was struggling with unresolved grief, depression, and panic attacks. A retired teacher, she had enjoyed a...
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Outcome of Schizophrenia in Later Life: Conceptual Changes and Implications for Treatment and Policy
In tandem with the greying of the general population, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of older adults with schizophrenia (OAS). Since 2000, there has been a doubling of persons aged 55 and over with schizophrenia and they now comprise about one-fourth of all persons with...
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When Stigma is the Greatest Barrier: Strategies to Connect Older Adults to Treatment
When Client R, age 68, was referred to Service Program for Older People (SPOP) ten months ago she described symptoms of depression and anxiety – and she stated emphatically that therapy was for “rich white people” and not for her. She identified herself as an older Black Puerto Rican lesbian...
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Exploring the Use of Virtual Reality in Alleviating Loneliness Among Older Adults
Social isolation is a reality for many older adults, and in response, technology is proving a viable avenue worth serious exploration. Virtual reality (VR) may be a solution, as it can transport us to distant lands, expose individuals to novel experiences, and connect to others within a virtual...
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Healthy Aging: For Older Adults, The Pandemic is Far from Over
As we move into Year Three of the Covid-19 pandemic, older adults remain at high risk. Those over age 65 now account for 90% of COVID deaths – and many of those becoming ill are fully vaccinated and boosted. While many Americans feel confident to resume social activities and travel, our older...
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How the Pandemic Turned Behavioral Healthcare for Older Adults on Its Head
The past three years have brought about the greatest transformation in behavioral healthcare practices that I have seen in four decades. I have served as Chief Executive Officer of Service Program for Older People (SPOP) for 33 years. We provide community-based behavioral healthcare for adults...
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Volunteering Makes Old Age Meaningful
When I moved to Baltimore to be closer to my daughter and grandchildren, I left behind 50 years of work in New York’s mental health community, 20 years of teaching at Columbia University School of Social Work, an active life in jazz and in photography, many friends, and (though I tried to avoid...
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A Social Determinants Perspective of the Intersection of Ageism, Racism and Social Isolation During COVID-19
There is now well-established evidence on how long-standing systemic health and social inequities compound one’s risk of acquiring COVID-19. However, further research is needed to explore how disadvantaged social status(es) may interact with mandated or recommended social policies that aim to...
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Is Technology a Social Determinant of Health?
In late March of 2020, Alicia R. called the intake line at Service Program for Older People (SPOP), a New York City-based behavioral health care provider for older adults. This was during the peak of the initial COVID-19 outbreak in New York City and all residents were advised to remain in their...
