Social Inclusion and Emotional Wellness
Community Resources
AARP is undertaking an initiative to encourage communities to become livable communities for all ages. AARP believes that communities should have safe, walkable streets and neighborhoods, affordable and age-friendly housing, public transportation options, and services and opportunities for all people regardless of age to be contributing members of robust communities. To be a part of this initiative or to find communities that participate in this work, please visit the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, here.
AARP has a vast library of resources on aging issues. Visit the AARP website for more information.
Eldercare Locator is a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging with a searchable online directory of services for older adults, including Adult Day Programs, Food and Nutrition resources, Home Repair and Modification services, and Long Term Care facilities among others. Search their database for services in your community.
SAGE Metro Detroit is a local affiliate of the national Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. SAGE offers an inclusive, supportive, and safe space for LGBT older adults.
Caregivers can find a useful resource for understanding the unique needs of LGBT older adults, here.
For more information on LGBT older adults, please visits the SAGE Metro Detroit website.
The national SAGE organization website can be found, here.
For the Harvard Study of Adult Development, scientists tracked 268 Harvard sophomores in 1938 for 80 years looking for clues to leading a healthy and happy life. They found that happy relationships have a positive influence on our overall health and longevity. Read The Harvard Gazette's "Good genes are nice, but joy is better", here.
National Council on Aging is an organization supporting evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs aimed at older adults. Find their website and resources here.
My Medicare Matters and the National Council on Aging with Mental Health America collaborated to create a resource on anxiety, depression, and support for accessing mental health resources through Medicare. View it here
The National Institute on Aging offers information on depression in older adults. Depression is not simply feeling blue and it is not a normal part of aging. Learn how to recognize the symptoms of depression and the common causes and risk factors for depression in older adults. Read the article "Depression and Older Adults" here.
Additional resources on mental health and crisis intervention can be found below.
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
1-703-718-6026
www.aagponline.org
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255 (toll-free/24 hours a day)
Dial 711, then 1-800-273-8255 (TTY/toll-free)
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Educational Videos
Growing Old: Coping With Problems Of Isolation And Abandonment - White House Conference on Aging
Social Isolation in Older Adults - Tufts Health Plan Foundation
Let's Rock This Chair: No to Ageism, Yes to Aging - National Council on Aging
Good Genes are Nice, but Joy is Better- TED talk/Robert Waldinger