New Senior Life Solutions program at Intermountain Health Fillmore Community Hospital helps seniors with their mental health
(PRUnderground) June 10th, 2025
Aging can create additional emotional stress on seniors. A person’s older years can bring many joys, but health challenges, loss, and isolation can lead to anxious feelings and sadness.
Senior Life Solutions and Intermountain Health Fillmore Community Hospital are urging everyone in the community – family members, friends, caretakers, and religious leaders – to be aware of the emotional struggles senior citizens may be facing.
Teresa Turner, a clinical mental health counselor with Senior Life Solutions at Intermountain Fillmore Community Hospital, works with the elderly and says that seniors in the community can feel forgotten.
“Sometimes seniors struggle connecting,” said Turner. “The older they get – and I see it with my parents – people stop coming by, and they’re less able to physically get out and engage.”
Feeling a sense of belonging in a community is vital. Without it, health and happiness can decline, said Turner.
“Lacking connection and belonging is what leads to a sense of isolation,” she added. “We need to get our seniors connected to the community.”
Turner shared a few suggestions for connecting with seniors.
“Saying hello, stopping by, or even mowing their lawn goes a long way,” she noted. “It doesn’t have to be much. Small acts of kindness and service can make a big difference.”
Personal connections can directly reduce feelings of loneliness.
“We can help seniors so much just by talking to them and making them feel important or connected,” she said.
It’s easy get caught up in life’s demands and assume that seniors are doing well. However, Turner cautioned against making assumptions.
“Sometimes we get in the mindset of ‘they’re retired, they’ve made it, they’re okay,’ and we don’t realize they’re struggling, or we forget about them,” said Turner. “It’s important to make sure they’re doing okay mentally and physically.”
Living in rural areas can be especially problematic for elderly people experiencing loneliness. The children of many seniors may move away to pursue careers, and there may not be as many support systems or organized activities for seniors like there are in urban areas. Checking on seniors and making frequent connections with them here in our rural community is important.
It’s important to know that anyone can refer a senior to a health professional, if needed, said Turner.
“There are times when clinical intervention is necessary. Severe or persistent depression and anxiety can make it difficult to function, and it can take the joy out of life. If you suspect someone is experiencing these symptoms, consider referring them to a mental health counselor,” she emphasized.
In Fillmore, a new program called Senior Life Solutions aims to help seniors cope with loneliness and depression.
The program is tailored to help seniors in rural communities struggling with mental health and operates out of Intermountain Fillmore Community Hospital.
The hospital recognized a great need in our community and partnered with Senior Life Solutions to offer mental wellness services for seniors.
The program is already making an impact for several local patients.
“We’re grateful to have this program in the community,” said Kurt Forsyth, president of Intermountain Fillmore Community Hospital.
The program creates treatment plans which are unique to each patient. Individual and group therapies may be recommended. Program administrators may also connect seniors with other resources in the community, like Meals-on-Wheels, when necessary.
“Senior Life Solutions is a much-needed service for seniors because many feel forgotten. It’s exciting to be in this position and to help seniors adapt to life changes,” said Turner. “I value the trust that the family and friends of seniors place in me to help their loved ones.”
Whether referring a senior for therapy or not, Turner encourages us all to remember our seniors.
“A little kindness goes a long way,” she said.
To more information about Senior Life Solutions or refer a friend or loved one, please call 435-743-1559 or go to https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/fillmore-community-hospital/about/senior-life-solutions.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
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