Helping senior citizens with their mental health worries

Great strides have been made in breaking down the stigma of mental health, but what can be done if resources are not available?

That was a problem presented to Jill Backman of Jill Provisions when she and her husband lost their business to Hurricane Ian in 2022.

“It was a huge loss and a loss for both my husband and his dream but also for me working along with him,” said Backman.

Their livelihood had been ripped apart, and then they both got sick. However, counseling is expensive, and waitlists can have patients on stand-by for months.

The situation seemed bleak until Backman found Geralyn Poletti, a clinical social worker at the Baker Senior Center in Naples.

Poletti is one of two licensed social workers who meet with seniors working through challenging moments in their lives, from aging to cognitive decline, grief and stress.

Through its prior experiences with patients, the Baker Senior Center found one out of every three seniors in Naples feels isolated, which can increase the risk of dying by 45%.

WINK News anchor Lindsey Sablan spoke with Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, CEO of the Baker Senior Center, who said the sheer volume of calls the center would receive should justify the need for affordable counseling.

“They may tend to be more withdrawn and isolate themselves, which of course, is the worst thing that one can do,” said Faffer. “Many private practitioners do not take insurance and charge a high fee. Our seniors could not afford it.”

Another issue being faced by the senior care center is staffing. Southwest Florida is known to be a health provider desert.

To fix this issue, the center partnered with Florida Gulf Coast University to create the KIND program.

Students needing service learning hours can work with senior citizens with their mental health issues to aid the strained staff members at the center.