October Seniors Digest Focus: Depression Busting!

by Timmie Faghin, Advisory Council Chair

Welcome to the October 2004 issue of Seniors Digest! The Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services is very pleased to provide state-of-the-art communication regarding services and programs in our area, as well as a picture of what is happening on the national level.

This is the time of year when the days grow shorter and colder. Here in Seattle, it seems we go to work in the dark, and it's dark again by the time we leave! We cut back on exercise, go out less frequently, get little sunlight...for many people, fall is the time that seasonal depression can set in. So it seems appropriate that October is National Depression Education and Awareness Month.

The truth is, depression can strike at any time of the year, and at any time of life. So we are devoting much of this issue to examining the causes, symptoms and treatment of depression in older adults. We begin with an innovative new in-home counseling program, PEARLS (which stands for "Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors"). And read on to find out about National Depression Screening Day, on October 7. Several other articles offer a background on the issue of depression, and how it can be treated through counseling, lifestyle changes and increased empowerment.

Another source of empowerment can be found in the ballot box! Don't forget to vote on November 2. See "Make Your Vote Count on Election Day" if you have questions about how to vote...and if you are still making up your mind on the various issues that are so important to seniors today.

Also in this issue

• Find out about the deadline to sign up for this year's prescription drug benefit.
  
  
• Read about an important conference on aging that will take place in our area next year.
  
  
• Print out a copy of this month's wordfind puzzle, "Harvest Time."

For more information....

"Links You Can Use" will lead you to further information about the topics of the month, as well as to contact information for accessing resources in the area.

For national online resources, be sure to check out our companion website, SeniorsDigest.org, where you'll find quick, free access to a wide array of local and national websites for older adults and their families.

We hope you will refer to our electronic pages often to obtain advice, to learn of new and exciting services, and to offer us your constructive feedback.  

Read Seniors Digest and tell us what you think.  We are here to help.

Timmie Faghin, Chair
Seattle-King County Advisory Council
on Aging and Disability Services

* More about Carl Kaiser

Carl began working as a case manager for Aging and Disability Services in 1998. He was trained as a PEARLS interventionist while the program was being developed, and now continues to work as a Problem Solving Counselor. Carl says, "It's great to see how clients change over the time I work with them. Some clients have been completely revived by the PEARLS counseling sessions and their lives have taken a new direction." He reports, "Most participants have a reduction in their depression scores and have experienced a better quality of life, having learned techniques to solve problems and engage in activities that help them better manage their depression."

See "PEARLS Program Fights Depression" for more!

About the Advisory Council

We are a volunteer citizens' group working to create choices for elders and adults with disabilities in Seattle-King County. We do this by identifying, advising and advocating for programs that promote quality of life for these populations.

(c) Aging & Disability Services, Seattle Human Services Department and The Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging