Last year, Porter-Starke Services received a grant from the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration’s (FSSA) Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) to provide needed resources for Hoosiers aged 50 and older. This demographic has faced particularly acute challenges since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and this grant is aiding Porter-Starke in addressing these issues at the local level.
The programs funded by this grant are designed to help celebrate healthy aging, make healthy lifestyle choices, and avoid substance misuse. For the past year, Porter-Starke has provided educational services to older adults on topics including medication misuse and management, stress management, and depression.
“There has been a hidden epidemic among seniors in Northwest Indiana, but also on a national level, who are suffering from substance use disorder or who are misusing their medications and alcohol,” said Diana Iltzsche, Older Adult Prevention Coordinator at Porter-Starke.
The grant has allowed for several initiatives to be implemented, including Wellness Initiative for Senior Education classes (WISE), an evidence-based program proven to be successful in helping older adults make positive changes in their health. These classes teach seniors how to make healthy lifestyle changes, discuss risk factors, examine how alcohol and prescription medications can affect older adults differently, and teach attendees simple tools to help them feel empowered about their health and the healthcare they receive. Five WISE classes with local seniors have already taken place.
“We have educational programs for pre-teens and teens, but there has been little until now for older adults that dispels common aging myths and talks about body changes,” said Iltzsche.
Another initiative funded by the grant is the Healthy IDEAS (Identifying Depression & Empowering Activities for Seniors) program which is an evidence-based program that integrates depression awareness and self-care into existing case management services provided to older adults. A partnership with the Valparaiso University Public Health Program has provided interns who can meet with clients and provide them with valuable resources through the Healthy IDEAS program.
“I was given the opportunity to meet with older adults in the community and work on ways to improve their overall mood and mental health,” said Yasmin Brown, an intern working on the program. “Healthy IDEAS was so beneficial because of the amount of people who have been isolated during these uncertain times. The program allowed me to go visit them in their homes and help clients understand depression, give them learning materials, and advocate for themselves.”
Porter-Starke has also trained several of its therapists and case managers to be WISE program facilitators so they are able to offer these services to their clients for years to come. There are also plans to bring these classes to assisted living facilities in the area for those for whom transportation may pose a challenge.
“None of this would have been possible without this grant,” said Iltzsche. “There is such a great need for these services in our community and we are happy to be able to provide them as an organization dedicated to mental health and wellness.”
For more information or to schedule a WISE class, visit: www.porterstarke.org/lifeonpurpose