The surfacing of optimism

Optimism and confidence are slowly replacing fear and despair by COVID wary seniors. This is certainly a departure from months and months of unrelenting stress of a high risk senior population.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. My Huntley News interviewed two geriatric specialists for a look at where seniors have been and where they as a group are headed for their mental fitness.

Dr. Michael Raida is a psychiatrist and Sue Schultz is a nurse manager. Both work for Independence Health & Therapy at 2028 N. Seminary in Woodstock. Schultz also handles the day program nurse position. The Seminary location serves adult day and memory care programs and behavioral health services. The additional location at 708 Washington serves physical, speech, and occupational therapy and behavioral health services.

As winter finally slid into spring in March, Raida and Schultz witnessed a rise in the level of optimism. In the world of COVID-19, the change of seasons has meaning.

“I think over the winter, COVID was especially a problem, but not quite as much now just because some of the people might be outside,” Raida noted. “They are talking about receiving their second vaccine shot. They are looking forward to being with friends and doing more,” Raida said.

Raida and Schultz saw the earmarks of despair over the first five months that COVID spread into the senior population. Closing of various facilities such as adult day health services or locking down nursing homes and memory care had mental health implications. In her work as the day program nurse, Schultz saw clients with early onset Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, “people just entering their retirement years and now they are having to care for a spouse. COVID took all that away. I don’t have anyone to socialize with nor a sense of purpose where we had someplace to go, something to look forward to doing,” Schultz said.

Whether seniors attended adult day care for a day or a week or somewhere in between, stopping them from this connection in their lives created isolation and very real problems of anxiety and depression. “Friendships and camaraderie that they develop here is very important for their self-esteem, but if it’s taken away, you start to see things tumble,” Schultz said.

“We’ve been open since February 16, 2021 because of the positivity rate and all the metrics have been met so we were able to reopen,” Schultz said. “We are still at 50 percent capacity, but we are very happy to have them back and it proves there’s no substitution for this human element of being together and getting out,” Schultz said.

Schultz knows firsthand the kind of impact COVID has had on the senior population especially from the lack of human touch. “When you can’t have that interaction with somebody, it takes away that feeling. You can heal somebody’s heart and their soul by a touch. Without that feeling of being loved and wanted, it can lead to a domino effect into anxiety and depression,” Schultz said.

Besides the need for physical contact to improve mental wellness, Raida suggests additional ways seniors can get through tough times.

“I think a lot of people had to be creative or be introduced to technology such as Zoom and Facetime. If you are going for a walk and you have to socially distance, call your friends or family and talk to them on the phone while you are walking,” Raida said. He suggests yoga or low impact exercises on YouTube if you can’t go to a fitness center. Raida also thinks that starting new activities or hobbies will help as well.

Network and local news programs addressing COVID have kept millions of people current. On the surface, keeping up-to-date is seen as a benefit for a well-informed society. However, Schultz knows how an abundance of medical news on COVID can affect people.

“I was advising clients not to watch too much news. I think you need to be updated on what’s current, but don’t sit for long stretches of time in front of your TV set watching the news because I think it’s only going to make your life miserable,” Schultz said.

Senator Donald DeWitte, a St. Charles Republican, has joined lawmakers and advocacy group leaders trying to help the social-emotional health of seniors. DeWitte is pushing for passage of Senate Bill 2137.

“Having first-hand knowledge of the challenges with long-term nursing home care, this legislation is timely, given the significant challenges these facilities and their patients have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic,” DeWitte said. This measure requires virtual visitation options including allowing facilities permission to train volunteers and staff to help residents in virtual visitation.

McHenry County Mental Health Board and NAMI Mcty (National Alliance on Mental Illness) are among organizations in McHenry County at the forefront of aiding individuals and families with mental health issues.

On May 20 at 7 p.m., the McHenry County Mental Health Board holds a virtual town hall with Behavioral Health Professionals sharing information on mental health, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disability services.

NAMI McHenry County prepares for its 2021 matching campaign from September 1 through October 31. NAMI McHenry County Executive Director Alex Campbell says this is the third year in a row for the matching campaign. “NAMI will seek donations from corporate and/or private donors to use to promote for donations to match against.” Donations from the matching campaign will help keep NAMI programs free.

To access mental health services, residents are encouraged to call their existing service providers or use the McHenry County Crisis Line (24/7 assistance)at 1-800-892-8900, 2-1-1, or the MCHELP mobile app for information and referral.

Editor’s Note: Independence Health & Therapy emerged in 2018 from the merger of Family Alliance and Adult & Child Therapy Services in Woodstock. In late 2019, Independence Health & Therapy closed the Farm Hill, Huntley Adult Mental Health Clinic and Adult Day Care Facility.

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