Galion woman speaks on mental health and aging at United Nations HQ

NEW YORK CITY — Duana Patton has made it her mission to improve the lives of older adults in north central Ohio.

But earlier this week, the CEO of the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging was invited to take place in a global conversation.

Patton was a featured speaker during the inaugural World Mental Health Week Leadership Forum, which took place this week at the United Nations headquarters.

The invitation-only summit convened clinicians, researchers, policymakers, investors, advocates, storytellers and cultural leaders to discuss the future of mental health.

Patton was one of the panelists for a discussion about supporting mental health across the lifespan, from children and families to older adults.

“My call to action was that we need to create a culture where older adults, and really all populations, don’t have to suffer silently,” she said. “We’ve got to figure out how to treat (mental health challenges) and treat it when it’s not a crisis.”

Adults 75 and older had the highest suicide rate of any age group in the United States in 2024, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Beyond that sobering statistic, Patton sees a chance to make meaningful change. 

Stigma and barriers to access prevent some older adults from getting help

There are many factors that might prevent older adults from seeking or accessing mental health care.

Transportation, mobility challenges and the cost of care can be barriers. Stigmas around treatment may stop older adults from sharing their struggles. Others may assume depression is a natural part of growing older, even though it’s not.

Patton said physical needs and health issues are often easier to spot than those rooted in mental health. She thinks increasing home visits, both by providers and loved ones, is one piece of the puzzle.

“When we see people in their homes, we often can identify depression, isolation, sometimes we can identify exploitation, and things that get in the way of someone’s well-being,” she said.

“When we’re in the home, we can see a hoarding issue, which is sometimes a result of depression or anxiety or being isolated. We see the person’s refrigerator and their cupboards and we know what their nutrition habits look like. We see how they’re keeping their home and themselves.”

Patton’s passion for mental health has both personal and professional roots. She’s cared for a parent with depression and lost her daughter to suicide two years ago.

“I want to honor her and anybody else who lost their life due to a mental illness (and) families who deal with mental illness. I want to do something that makes a difference,” she said.

“I have turned my life experiences into wanting to do better for our communities and for families and individuals who suffer whose mental health gets in the way of their well-being and them living their best life.”

Patton said she believes finding solutions to improve mental health for senior citizens starts with the community coming together. 

“It starts with conversations with clinicians, families who have lived experiences, researchers, funders, to be at the table and talk about mental health issues and how they affect all populations in our community and to begin to get creative with how we are meeting the needs of individuals,” she said.

“I’m committed to doing that at the local level so that when I am at these national and global (events), I make sure that I remember the people in my own backyard and that their voice is included.”

Patton said she left the summit ready to keep the conversation going.

“It was an incredible group of individuals who really care about the topic. It really inspired me,” she said. “We have to continue conversations locally, nationally and globally about mental health so that we can begin to kind of dispel the stigma that comes with it.”

Local agencies can help, community members also have role to play

The Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging is based in Ontario and serves nine Ohio counties, including Ashland, Richland and Knox.

The agency can connect older adults and their caregivers with mental health service providers and in some cases, help cover the cost of mental health counseling. The agency has also applied for and received some grants to provide opioid education and awareness training to service providers.

Patton said finding ways to reduce barriers to mental health services is an ongoing goal.

On the national level, she leads advocacy efforts as board president of USAging, a national coalition of area agencies on aging.

“One of our biggest priorities right now in all long-term care services and supports is funding nationally and (bolstering the care provider) workforce,” she said.

Patton said you don’t have to be a mental health professional or a caregiver to provide support. Simply being present can make a big difference.

Loneliness and isolation can have negative impacts on a person’s physical and mental health. Yet researchers at the University of Michigan found that nearly 30 percent of adults ages 50 to 80 felt isolated “some of the time or often” in 2024.

“Older adults need to be heard. They need the same kind of connections that we get every day when we’re working or in our relationships,” Patton said.

“Older adults often experience loss — loss of a loved one, a spouse, loss of self, loss of independence, loss of movement. As we get older, those things happen. But depression, anxiety and loneliness should not be a symptom of those things. It is the people and the community around older adults that can help make a huge difference,” she added.

Patton also recommended helping older adults maintain their community connections and independence whenever possible.

“I think it’s being aware of the individual who is lonely, the individual who might not be able to get out as much, and embracing them,” she said.