#FIDELIA NYC HOW TO#

She smiled when she talked about her abstract drawings – done in colored pencils.

W., a 74-year-old Hispanic woman who prefers to remain anonymous, found a way to deal with her depression. With counseling sessions from CASA and art classes at the senior center, Mrs. “I love to see their smile after they complete something.” They won’t even say the word ‘depression.’ They just say, ‘I’m not happy.’” But Leong finds hard-earned progress fulfilling. “They think depression means they’re crazy. “Especially the older generation,” she said. and Macau who speaks Chinese, works carefully to make incremental progress with her clients. Henry Street social worker Agnes Leong, a citizen of the U.S. And Chinese seniors, 35 percent of participants, are known by several Henry Street staff to be deeply hesitant to speak about mental health troubles, let alone depression, out of fear of bringing shame upon themselves and their families. Hispanic seniors, for example, who make up 60 percent of the NORC/Vladeck program, may view depression as God’s punishment. I stay in bed they beg me to get out.”Ĭulture plays a significant role, Kamen said. She called the Henry Street Senior Center her “second home.” Yet, she also said. “I’m screaming and I don’t know what to do,” she recalled. It could be 9/11.”įidelia Gloria Dorival – an 88-year-old woman originally from Barbados – said she has suffered from PTSD since the World Trade Center attacks, which happened about two miles from her home. “It could be from the Korean War, Vietnam. To compound matters, some seniors suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), said Cheryl Kamen, director of the senior center. Getting them into treatment, and getting them to accept the treatment, is another. Getting seniors to overcome the stigma attached to the condition and even acknowledge that they are depressed is an issue, Smith said. Like any institution that seeks to address depression, Henry Street faces ongoing challenges. “We did belly dancing,” she said, “and Zumba.” She found solace in the senior center classes. She took tap and ballet classes as a kid, and dreamed of performing on Broadway. It hosts presentations on aging and depression, as well as music, dancing, and art classes. The center also works to create an atmosphere where seniors can learn about mental health and make friends through games and activities. The senior center, for instance, uses the PHQ-9 Scale – “one of the most validated tools in mental health,” which can be used to “assist clinicians with diagnosing depression and monitoring treatment response,” according to the AIMS Center at the University of Washington. NORC/Vladeck and the senior center both offer mental health screenings and referrals to CASA, a satellite mental health clinic. Among the services available to NORC residents are a blood pressure clinic and home visits by the program’s registered nurse. To qualify for NORC/Vladeck, seniors must be at least 60 and live in the Vladeck Houses – public housing and independent apartment living, which Betsy Smith, director of the program, urges hesitant elderly people to not mistake for nursing homes, assisted retirement communities, and similar settings. In addition to on-site counseling, support and health services, Henry Street social workers visit seniors, who often remain at home for physical or mental health reasons. Henry Street’s array of senior health offerings include NORC/Vladeck, a partnership with the NYC Housing Authority (NORC stands for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) the Henry Street Senior Center the Senior Companion program the Center for Active and Successful Aging (CASA) and Health Seniors Select Meals on Wheels.

#FIDELIA NYC HOW TO#

Today, she credits programs run by the Henry Street Settlement for teaching her how to manage her anxiety and depression, while giving her a sense of community. And that loneliness led to anxiety and her anxiety deepened into depression. She and her husband divorced, the children began their adult lives, and she retired as a full-time teacher. She earned a master’s degree from Adelphi University and taught early education at Public School 42 in the Bronx.īut her life changed. She helped raise two children and is now a grandmother of three.

She was surrounded by people for most of her life. Basilisa Riggio, 76, came to the United States from Puerto Rico when she was two.

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