Older Adult Mental Wellness

Mental wellness

As many as one in five older adults experiences symptoms of depression and anxiety. Because mental health can have a significant impact on your quality of life, relationships and overall health, it’s just as important to seek care for mental health issues as it is for physical health issues. Mental health includes emotional, psychological and social well-being. Learn more about taking care of your mental health.

Warning signs of depression or anxiety:

• Noticeable changes in mood, energy level or appetite
• Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge
• Increased worry or feeling stressed
• Anger, irritability or aggressiveness
• Ongoing headaches, digestive issues
• Unexplained pain
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Sadness or hopelessness
• Suicidal thoughts
• Thoughts or behaviors that interfere with work, family, or social life

Mental health issues can be treated: If you are unsure where to go for help, ask your family doctor or visit Washington County's Behavioral Health webpage. Communicating well with your health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Read tips to help prepare and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, including questions to ask your health care provider, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

If you or someone you know is in a crisis, get help immediately by calling the Washington County Crisis Line at 503-291-9111.

Loneliness and isolation

Social isolation and loneliness are both associated with negative physical and mental health consequences. Loneliness is the feeling of distress that results from a lack of social contact and/or meaningful relationships. Social isolation is currently defined by professionals as the number of personal contacts a person has. Older adults are particularly at risk. Take this three-minute quiz to find out if you or someone you know may be feeling lonely or isolated.

Older adult risk factors

Do you know someone experiencing isolation or loneliness?

Just reaching out to someone else can help make you and them feel better. Here are some resources to help you connect with others.

Oregon Senior Peer Outreach Line: 833-736-4676

Weekly phone-based support and connection with Community Support Solutions. This free service is available to Washington County older adults (55+) experiencing symptoms of loneliness or isolation. Participants are matched with a trained peer support specialist and receive scheduled weekly phone calls. Spanish assistance available.

Oregon Senior Loneliness Line: 503-200-1633

Available 24/7 with Lines for Life. Trained volunteers offer support and connection at any time for older adults experiencing loneliness and isolation. Available in multiple languages.

Tips for reducing anxiety

• Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs. Attend live, online exercise classes for free with Washington County and the Juanita Pohl Center.
• Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Take breaks from watching, reading or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to hear about a crisis and see images repeatedly. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
• Connect with others using technology. Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. Do you need help accessing technology in order to connect with your community? Call the ADRC at 855-673-2372 to find out more about technology access resources available to older adults in our community.

Grief support

Grief is a natural response to loss. Here are a few ways to cope with grief:

• Acknowledge your pain.
• Understand that grief can bring many different and unexpected emotions.
• Seek out support.
• Limit isolation (we know this is difficult to do right now).
• Take care of your health with good nutrition, physical activity and getting enough sleep.

No cost programs for help with late-life depression

Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors (PEARLS)

• Eight sessions of in-home counseling followed by series of phone-based support by counselor or peer mentor.
• Teaches depression management techniques, goal setting, problem-solving and social activation.
• Free for Washington County residents 55+.

Contact Oregon Senior Peer Outreach for more information on PEARLS at 833-736-4676.

The Pearl Room Older Adult Mental Health Support Programming- The Pearl Room at the Marjorie Stewart Senior Center provides free mental health support and depression treatment to older adults through in-person, in-center, and telehealth. We accomplish this through empowering doctoral students and peer coaches who are overseen by a licensed counselor, creating a program that can be beneficial for all participants. The Pearl Room also provides a comfortable and engaging environment for support groups and important conversations that are both peer and student facilitated.

How do you connect with someone who is isolated or lonely?

Timeslips Creative Engagement™ for connection through dementia

As a Certified Creative Community of Care™, Washington County is proud to offer Timeslips™ Creative Engagement Program for families and special training for Professionals and Community Skill Building.

What would a conversation look like with someone who is dealing with the challenges of dementia? Timeslips™ is a program that uses creative engagement techniques that help inspire connections through the art of joyful, non-judgmental, open-ended conversation. Learn how to reframe everyday interactions into opportunities for meaningful connection, storytelling and creativity.

Learn how to create more community. Contact the Family Caregiver Support Program for more information. Timeslips is great for:

• Family caregivers
• Faith Communities
• Aging Service Organizations
• Community Organizations
• Intergenerational groups

Watch a short video and learn more about Timeslips™.

Meaningful community engagement

Stay connected. Proximity doesn't equal connection. Many faith communities, senior/community centers and libraries offer programs and activities with others over the phone or by video. Attend a Death Café or Age Café with Washington County and the Beaverton Library to learn about and discuss interesting and relevant topics with others. Check the DAVS Community Calendar for current event listings.

Support Groups and Older Adult Programs with NAMI Washington County. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) works with us to provide support, education and programming to older adults experiencing loneliness, isolation, anxiety or depression. Learn more on NAMI's website.

Age Well Washington County video series

“Age Well Washington County” is a show produced by Health and Human Services and TVCTV. Hosted by Andy Wallace with the Behavioral Health Division, the series highlights people and programs that support healthy aging in our community. Our second show was recorded in November 2024 and centers around taking care of yourself during the holidays. Our guests are Melissa Thompson with Hillsboro Senior Community Center and Kami Larson with Sequoia Mental Health Services. Watch it below.

The first episode was recorded in June 2024 at the Marjorie Stewart Senior Community Center in Sherwood. It features the center’s manager and consulting clinical therapist, who discussed their approach to supporting the mental and emotional wellness of their participants. The show also includes snippets from a few community members who volunteer at or utilize the center. Watch it below.

More resources for older adult behavioral health

• Hoarding Task Force and resources for help with excessive clutter and collecting.
• Suicide Prevention classes and training requests at Get Trained To Help.
• Death Cafe, talk about death, learn about life, eat cake.
• Project Visibility for LGBTQ+ Older Adults, training for groups and organizations: Email Kera Magarill.
• Connect with us to find a training that meets the needs of your group or organization at 503-846-3060.

This page is made possible through the Oregon Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative.

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