Robert Browning once said, "Grow old with me! The best is yet to be." Perhaps so, but it sounds like Browning didn't suffer from depression, an illness that has a serious impact on the elderly community.

According to the American Geriatrics Society, up to 15 percent of the elderly living in residential facilities are depressed and that number rises to 45 percent for those admitted for inpatient medical care. But only about 1 to 2 percent of the elderly receive the care and treatment they need . There are many reasons for the under diagnosis.

People often think depression is simply a part of growing older. They believe depression must accompany the often difficult transitions that accompany the aging process.

Dr Zachary Palace from the Hebrew Home disagrees. Depression, he says, is definitely not a normal part of the aging process.

Palace believes seniors can and should lead happy and meaningful lives. The trick is proper diagnosis and subsequent treatment. There are medications and counseling available to the elderly. These treatments are effective more than 80 percent of the time.

Resources

The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York

The Hebrew Home at Riverdale