CMS ACCESS MODEL · BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TRACK
Depression & Anxiety Treatment for Seniors
Compassionate, evidence-based mental health care integrated into your geriatric medical visits. Because emotional wellbeing is inseparable from physical health in older adults.
The Hidden Epidemic: Mental Health in Older Adults
Depression affects approximately 7 million Americans over age 65, yet it is drastically underdiagnosed and undertreated in this population. Unlike younger adults, elderly patients often present with physical symptoms — fatigue, pain, appetite changes, and cognitive slowing — rather than classic sadness. Anxiety disorders are equally common, frequently coexisting with chronic pain, heart disease, and dementia.
Left untreated, depression and anxiety in seniors accelerate cognitive decline, increase fall risk, worsen chronic disease outcomes, and dramatically reduce quality of life. Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable, with depression rates exceeding 25%. At Florida Elder Care, we screen every patient for depression and anxiety as part of routine geriatric care — because we believe mental health is as important as blood pressure control.
Our Behavioral Health Approach
Routine Screening
PHQ-9 and GAD-7 screening at every visit, with specialized geriatric assessment tools to identify depression and anxiety that might present atypically in older adults.
Safe Medication Management
Age-appropriate antidepressant selection, avoiding medications on the Beers Criteria list, careful dose titration, and monitoring for side effects and drug interactions common in elderly patients.
Integrated Care
Coordinating with psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, and community resources. Addressing the root causes — isolation, grief, chronic pain, cognitive changes — not just the symptoms.
You Don’t Have to Face This Alone
Mental health care is part of every geriatric visit. Let’s start the conversation.