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When you or someone you love is dealing with a mental health concern, sometimes it’s a lot to handle. It’s important to remember that mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, and mental illnesses are common and treatable.
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Fayette County Memorial Hospital’s (FCMH) Senior Life Solutions program is joining this year’s national campaign to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of good mental health for everyone. May is Mental Health Month was started 70 years ago by the national organization, Mental Health America (MHA).
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A healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the onset or worsening of mental health conditions, as well as chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It can also help people recover from these conditions. For those dealing with a chronic health condition and the people who care for them, it can be especially important to focus on mental health. That is why in 2019 Senior Life Solutions is expanding upon last year’s theme of 4Mind4Body and taking it to the next level, exploring the topics of animal companionship, humor, work-life balance, and recreation and social connections as ways to boost mental health and general wellness.
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“Mental health is just as important as physical health,” said FCMH CEO Mike Diener. “That’s why our Senior Life Solutions program is so important to our community.”
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Diener notes as a large portion of the population ages, this service has come to Fayette County at just the right time.
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“It is important to really look at your overall health, both physically and mentally, to achieve wellness,” said Angela Tackett, RN Program Director of Senior Life Solutions. “Finding a reason to laugh, going for a walk with a friend, meditating, playing with a pet, or working from home once a week can go a long way in making you both physically and mentally healthy, it’s all about finding the right balance to benefit both the mind and body.”
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“Living a healthy lifestyle is not always easy, but it can be achieved by gradually making small changes and building on those successes,” concluded Tackett. “Finding the balance between work and play, the ups and downs of life, physical health and mental health, can help you on the path towards focusing both 4Mind4Body.”
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FCMH’s Senior Life Solutions program is an intensive outpatient group therapy program designed to meet the unique needs of older adults suffering from symptoms of anxiety and depression often related to aging.
Washington CH City Manager Joe Denen & Washington CH City Council presented a proclamation declaring May as Mental Health Month in Washington Court House. Per the proclamation, “ I also call upon the citizens, government agencies, public and private institutions, businesses and schools in Washington Court House and Fayette County to recommit our community to increasing awareness and understanding of mental health, the steps our citizens can take to protect their mental health, and the need for appropriate and accessible services for all people with mental health conditions.”
(Photo from left: FCMH CEO Mike Diener, WCH City Council Jim Chrisman, FCMH Senior Life Solutions Director Angela Tackett, WCH City manager Joe Denen, FCMH CFO Trent Lemle)
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For more information, call the FCMH Senior Life Solutions program at 740-333-2226. For more information on May is Mental Health Month, visit MHA’s website at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may