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Let There Be Light /
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Erika Hoffman, Staff Writer
Of the 107 initially treated by LIGHT, 58
could be contacted at three months. Seventy-five
percent of them showed improvement at the
three-month follow-up using the short form of
The Geriatric Depression Scale. This is a very
impressive result given the fact that a myriad
of challenges arise when trying to reach
individuals for follow-up, such as
hospitalization, relocation, tragic events,
telephone disconnection, and increased dementia
interfering with their ability to answer
questions.
In meeting with each practice to discuss the
LIGHT toolkit, Veronica Poklemba found high praise
for the information the kit provided: an explanation
of depression, the symptoms, the treatments, the
mental health resources, and educational handouts
for medical and lay communities.
Veronica Poklemba’s advice is: Don’t hesitate to
bring up questions about mental health with your
primary doctor. She urges, “If it’s in your head,
you should ask it.” She emphasizes that a caregiver
must take care of himself in order to care for
another. She advises to search online to find mental
health care providers in your area, ask your
physician for a list, and if you need names of
therapists and psychiatrists in the Baltimore
environs who enjoy working with elderly patients,
call her. [410-601-2875]
Look over the list of symptoms of depression. If
you notice these present in your loved one, ask the
doctor, “Can you determine if my loved one has
depression?”Be proactive.
Today’s caregivers must be knowledgeable about
the proven tie between a person’s emotional
well-being and physical health. To treat only
symptoms that have a readily identifiable physical
cause is to deny a person help, hope, and the
pursuit of happiness. So, all ostrich heads must
yank themselves up into the 21st century and get
their loved ones to a program like Project LIGHT
where beauty, truth, and joy can be within the grasp
of their beloved charge—the person they care for.
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