Suicide In Older Adults: What You Need To Know

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The recent death of Naomi Judd shocked and saddened me. I enjoy her music, and Naomi’s career especially interested me because she, like me, was an RN.

As I thought about her suicide at age 76, I wondered how common suicide is among older adults. When I hear of a person taking their own life, I usually picture someone in their teens or twenties.

I learned that people over the age of 65 make up 12% of the U.S. population, but they account for about 18% of suicides. And did you know men aged 85 and above have the highest suicide rate in the country?

Many factors can trigger thoughts of suicide in older adults. These include:

• Loneliness
• Grief over the loss of a loved one
• Pain & other symptoms related to chronic illness
• Loss of independence
• Financial struggles
• Cognitive impairments
• History of depression
• Loss of a sense of purpose

When an older adult attempts suicide, they are much more likely to die as compared with a young person. That’s because underlying health conditions make them more fragile. They’re also more likely to be isolated, increasing the likelihood that no one will discover them in time. In addition, they tend to plan more carefully than younger people and use more lethal methods.

It’s important to know the warning signs of suicidal intent. These include:

• Social withdrawal
• Negative comments such as “The world would be better off without me.”
• Loss of interest in future events
• Reckless or unsafe behavior
• Significant mood swings
• Talking about suicide
• Stockpiling medications
• Unusual loss of attention to personal appearance
• Significant changes in sleep or eating patterns
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Giving away possessions

Here’s how you can help someone at risk for suicide:

1. If someone seems in imminent danger of harming themself, call 911 and stay with the person until help arrives.
2. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. If someone isn’t contemplating suicide, you won’t put the idea in their head by bringing up the topic. And if they are suicidal, you just might save a life.
3. Help reduce social isolation. You’ll find excellent suggestions in this article from A Place for Mom.
4. Encourage taking part in a support group after a major life change, such as losing a spouse.
5. Talk with their primary medical provider about issues such as depression or chronic pain.
6. If someone is on meds for a mental health condition, assure they have a good system in place to make sure they take their medications correctly. Your pharmacist is an excellent resource.
7. Several organizations offer support for anyone concerned about suicide. These include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (call 988). You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

To learn more about suicide in people of all ages, go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Addendum: Just four days after posting this article, I learned that one of my former co-workers took her own life. She was 50 years old. While I hadn’t seen her in a few years, I never would have expected something like this to happen. Let’s look out for those around us. We just never know how much someone might hurt inside.