Dallas Whole Life Counseling is one of the top Medicare mental health providers in Dallas-Fort Worth, with Medicare-approved psychologists specializing in the compassionate treatment of senior issues. Some of the most common issues seniors face include :
- Social Isolation
- Family Issues
- Social Anxiety
- Career and Retirement Issues
- Financial Worries
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Physical Health Issues
- Cognitive Challenges
- Chronic Pain
- Memory Issues
- Questions About Death and Dying
- Search for Deeper Spiritual Meaning
Although the later stages of life can be challenging, profound benefits are also potential at these stages. The aging individual is forced to slow down, giving him or her the chance to reflect on Bigger Picture aspects of Self and Life. In moving beyond previous social, career, and family roles, the senior has the chance to access new parts of his or her personality, talents, and lifelong goals that may have been set aside during the fast-paced lifestyle and urgent demands of the younger years.
Do my Medicare benefits cover your services?
Yes, counseling for mental health is covered under Medicare Part B. Your initial appointment will be 60 minutes. You will only be responsible for the co-pay of $21.94. Co-pays for follow-up sessions range from $10.61–$21.05. (NOTE: If you have supplemental insurance, you will not owe a co-pay for any of your appointments.)
Do you treat younger people with Medicare benefits as well as seniors?
Yes. Sometimes injury, illness, work-related disability, and other life circumstances result in a younger person qualifying for Medicare Part B benefits. Our team, be it a Medicare counselor, psychologist, or other health service providers are equipped to treat individuals of all ages, not just seniors.
How does treatment work?
When you contact us, you will be matched with a clinical Medicare psychologist specializing in senior issues. Senior emotional, psychological, and cognitive concerns are best addressed within the context of the individual’s overall health, social, and lifestyle circumstances. Your experienced treatment provider will help you better understand and address your mental health issues, as well as coordinate medical treatment when appropriate. Spouses, family members and other loved ones may be included in your sessions when relevant.
During the first meeting, if you have coverage from Medicare, therapists will discuss your current concerns and explore specific goals for treatment. A meeting schedule for moving forward will be arranged, allowing the therapist to regularly check in with your progress toward various goals. Our therapists emphasize genuine respect, patience, and compassion in working with their mature clients, treating them as “whole persons” rather than just a list of symptoms on a chart.
Dr. Lynelle Lynn
Dr. Lynelle Lynn is our primary coverage provider. She is one of our clinical Medicare psychologists who specialize in senior issues. We asked Dr. Lynn to answer a few questions relevant to senior issues:
What specific mental health issues does the senior population tend to struggle with?
Individuals new to the “senior” title tend to have difficulty with transition from career to retirement. This transition can involve depression and/or anxiety regarding self-value and self-identity. Individuals often have difficulty occupying their time and feeling productive or valued. Finding new ways to define their value is often a focus of individual sessions with a Medicare therapist.
Individuals over 65 often undergo a process of redefining their meaning for living. They have likely experienced loss of loved ones and friends. They may find themselves as the oldest member of the family, and often put pressure on themselves to take on a leadership or a historian role within the family. Perhaps having outlived many of their peers, seniors may feel lonely and isolated.
Do physical health issues also tend to influence senior psychotherapy treatment?
Our Medicare counselors recognize that physical decline is often a central source for distress. Chronic pain may be a challenge. Recent diagnoses of new or worsening medical problems may be overwhelming. New aches and pains, increases in medications and vitamins become the normal daily routine. Keeping up with grandchildren or maintaining an active lifestyle may be increasingly difficult with aging.
Seniors often feel younger mentally than their body can keep up with, as if the body is betraying the mind. People begin to identify themselves as an illness rather than as a person who lives with an illness. Recognizing the effects health has on identity and self-esteem can be the first step in actualizing desired lifestyle changes and feelings of contentment.
What treatment methods/strategies work best for the senior population?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution Focused Therapy assist the client in recognizing faulty and self-defeating thinking and core beliefs. Seniors may have learned many negative cultural ideas about aging, for instance, and may tell themselves they are worthless or an unnecessary burden on others. Therapy teaches the individual to cultivate a more realistic and positive outlook. Accepting the changes that accompany aging, the client focuses on the present, Here and Now value of who they are and what they have to offer. Rather than regretting the decline of their physical abilities, for example, seniors learn to appreciate their hard-earned wisdom gained from broad life experiences.
Are family members sometimes included in the treatment process?
Spouses, siblings, children, and grandchildren are often a valuable aspect of the treatment process. After the client has realized a more healthy approach to the challenges of aging, family often needs assistance with “catching up.” For instance, younger generations sometimes view older individuals as being out of touch with new trends or technology. However, many seniors benefit from technology to help with their memory and cognitive functioning. These days, seniors are playing video games and connecting with friends and family via the Internet.
Family members who are primary caregivers for an aging parent or spouse have unique pressures. In addition to the stresses of providing daily care giving tasks, caregivers often need assistance with understanding the delicate yet complicated process of gaining guardianship or power of attorney. Caregivers can feel very alone. They may experience intense guilt about their conflicted feelings in caring for their loved one. Caregivers often fail to take time for themselves. The aging parent or spouse likely feels this anxiety and may react emotionally to changing relationship roles.
Not only is the senior client dealing with aging, but so is the family. Families often have difficulty seeing their parent age. Mortality can be difficult for young people to come to terms with. Through education, open communication, and other tools provided by our Medicare mental health providers, we can help family members to easily adjust to significant role changes within the family unit.