Program Description:

This videoconference will examine the interaction between physical illness in the elderly and mental illness. Discussion will center on health risks often associated with mental illness and will demonstrate how addressing these health problems can improve an elderly individual’s mental health symptoms. Strategies that professionals and families can use to address physical health issues for the elderly with mental illness will be described.

Educational Objectives:

At the conclusion of this program, participants should be able to:

• describe the serious physical health risks experienced by elderly individuals with mental illness
• demonstrate how addressing physical health issues can positively affect mental illness
• provide strategies mental health care workers, consumers, and family members can implement to address physical health issues for the elderly individual with mental illness