Behavioral and mental health are a part of overall health. Whether you or a loved one needs this support as part of your home care recovery or has a disease that affects how the brain works, VNS Health is here for you.
Behavioral Health and Older Adults
Aging can bring challenges that affect mental health. Isolation can lead to loneliness, which can lead to depression. Anxiety and memory loss are common. And older adults are often reluctant to ask for help. But if left unaddressed, these conditions can affect physical well-being as well as quality of life. They can also put unneeded burdens on caregivers.
Despite this, the behavioral health needs of older adults often go unnoticed or are misdiagnosed.
While caring for older adults, our nurses may notice signs of depression or other mental health conditions. They may bring in a behavioral health team member for in-home mental health care. VNS Health also offers outreach services. These include counseling and connecting to community services.
We can also support people with mood disorders and their caregivers.
Anxiety Disorders
Occasional worry is a part of life. But constant anxiety that interferes with day-to-day life and creates or worsens physical symptoms may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders can make your loved one uncomfortable physically and behaviorally. VNS Health can provide additional support by:
- Assessing their mood and behavior using research-based screening tools
- Creating a unique treatment plan based on their needs
- Educating you and your loved one about their condition and how to self-manage symptoms through approaches like relaxation, mindfulness, and self-esteem building
- Providing supportive counseling and goal setting
- Coordinating their care and monitoring their condition
- Managing medication, including providing ways to be more consistent
- Connecting them with community resources, such as support groups
Depression
Depression — also known as major depressive disorder — is when feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or decreased energy last for weeks or months. Although depression is common in older adults because of factors like social isolation, loss of loved ones, medications, or changes in health status, it’s not a normal part of aging. With the right support, your loved one can experience reduced feelings of depression and improved quality of life.
Depression can significantly impact your loved one’s quality of life, both physically and emotionally. VNS Health can provide additional support by:
- Assessing their mood and behavior using research-based screening tools
- Creating a unique treatment plan based on their needs
- Educating you and your loved one about their condition and how to self-manage symptoms through approaches like relaxation, mindfulness, and self-esteem building
- Providing supportive counseling and goal setting
- Coordinating their care and monitoring their condition
- Managing medication, including providing ways to be more consistent
- Connecting them with community resources, such as support groups
We also offer community behavioral health programs for seniors, including:
- Geriatric Mental Health Initiative (GMHI), which provides free, in-home counseling and screening for older adults in the Bronx who are experiencing depression or anxiety
- Geriatric Mobile Outreach, which provides short-term mental health outreach, case management, in-home counseling, and connections to community services for older adults with emotional wellness issues
Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
“Dementia” is an umbrella term for loss of memory, language, and other thinking skills that impact your loved one’s day-to-day life. Dementia is not one disease. Instead, it’s a wide range of conditions, one of which is Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia can be challenging for both you and your loved one.
With Dementia Care at Home, VNS Health can offer additional support by providing:
- An in-home evaluation by a dementia care expert
- A customized care plan
- Education about dementia, how it progresses, and what to expect
- A dedicated care coordinator who ensures that the care plan meets you and your loved one’s needs at every stage
- Phone check-ins every two weeks
- An assessment from a registered nurse every 90 days
Behavioral Health Programs
Coping with behavioral health conditions like depression, anxiety, and dementia can make it difficult for both you and your loved one. VNS Health offers a wide range of community programs that provide behavioral health support for older adults, children and families, and people of all ages who are experiencing a mental health crisis or need extra support in their care.
Our programs include:
- Crisis intervention and outreach
- Outpatient treatment for people who have behavioral health conditions, including substance use disorder
- Care management, such as coordinating care with multiple providers and helping manage chronic conditions
- Post-acute transitional care for people who are moving from inpatient units back into the community
These programs have the same goal — to provide consistent, coordinated behavioral health services to people who need them, including loved ones. Many of these programs are collaborations between VNS Health and state or city agencies, and others are partnerships with health and behavioral health agencies.
Learn more about VNS Health behavioral health programs.
Additional Resources
Community Behavioral Health Programs
Comprehensive support for people of all ages with mental health issues or in crisis.
Dementia Care at Home
Expert care for those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s and support for their caregivers.
