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For older adults
Later life can be full — and still hard sometimes.
Retirement, health changes, losing people we love, living farther from family — later life brings real challenges. Depression and anxiety are common, but they are not a normal part of aging. They're treatable at any age.
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Start here
- Take the later-life mood check-in (3 minutes)
- Try chair Baduanjin qigong
- Get ready to talk with your doctor
- Someone to talk to, 24/7: 1-800-971-0016
1 · Know the signs
Depression can look different after 60.
Many older adults with depression don't feel “sad.” Instead, it can show up as:
- Tiredness, slowing down, or sleep changes
- Aches, pains, or stomach problems without a clear cause
- Irritability or grumpiness
- Losing interest in hobbies, friends, church, or family
- Not eating, or losing weight
- Trouble with memory or concentration — sometimes mistaken for dementia
- Not wanting to leave the house, or to be a “bother”
Check-in
Geriatric Depression Scale
15 yes-or-no questions made for adults 65+. Private, scored instantly, and printable for your doctor.
Start the check-in →Library
Depression, in depth
What it is, what helps, and how sure the research is.
Read →Memory
Worried about memory?
Normal aging or a warning sign, why sudden confusion is an emergency, and our full dementia guide.
Open the dementia guide →2 · Your benefits
Medicare helps pay for mental health care.
A yearly depression screening
Medicare Part BMedicare covers one depression screening per year, done in a primary care setting such as your doctor's office. If your doctor accepts assignment, you typically pay nothing for the screening.
Counseling and therapy
Medicare Part BMedicare covers outpatient mental health care, including counseling with psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, and — since 2024 — licensed marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors. Many visits can be done by video or phone.
Your “Welcome” and yearly wellness visits
Ask for itThese visits include a review of your risk for depression. Say how you've really been feeling — it counts.
Costs and rules depend on your plan (Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage). Check with your plan or at Medicare.gov.
3 · Move gently
Movement that lifts mood and steadies balance.
Exercise is one of the best-supported ways to ease depression at any age. For older adults, two Chinese practices stand out because they are gentle, can be done seated, and also improve balance.
Tai chi basics
Tai chi is one of the most studied ways to prevent falls. The CDC includes it among recommended fall-prevention programs.
Baduanjin (Eight Brocades)
A 2026 meta-analysis in older adults found better sleep and fewer depressive symptoms with regular practice.
Many senior centers and community centers offer free or low-cost tai chi classes — a good way to meet people, too.
4 · Sleep
Sleep changes with age. Insomnia doesn't have to.
It's normal to sleep a little lighter and wake earlier as we age. But lying awake night after night isn't something you have to accept. The first treatment doctors recommend for chronic insomnia is CBT for insomnia (CBT-I), which works well for older adults too. Strong evidence
5 · Stay connected
Loneliness is a health issue — not a personal failing.
Losing a spouse or friends, retiring, giving up driving, or hearing loss can quietly shrink our world. The NIA links loneliness and isolation to higher risk of depression, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
- Get your hearing checked. Treating hearing loss can make conversation — and going out — feel possible again.
- Make it a routine. A standing weekly call or coffee is easier than planning each time.
- Find local programs. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) connects you with your local Area Agency on Aging: senior centers, meals, rides, and volunteer opportunities.
- Give back. Volunteering and mentoring bring purpose and new friends.
- A friendly voice any time: the Friendship Line at 1-800-971-0016 — not only for emergencies.
6 · Talk with your doctor
What to say at your next visit.
Many people wait for the doctor to ask. You can bring it up first — doctors want to know. Fill in the blanks, then print this page or write it on a card.
“For about ____ weeks, I've been feeling ________________.”
“It's affecting my sleep / appetite / energy / interest in things / memory.”
“Could this be depression or anxiety?”
“Could any of my medicines or health conditions be causing this?”
“What are my options — including talk therapy?”
Bring: a list of all your medicines and supplements, your check-in result, and someone you trust if you'd like.
7 · Help lines
Someone to talk to.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call 988Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Free, confidential, 24/7. Veterans: press 1. Spanish: press 2.
Emergency
Call 911If someone is in immediate danger, has taken something, or is injured, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Friendship Line (older adults)
CallThe Institute on Aging's 24/7 line for people 60+ and adults living with disabilities: 1-800-971-0016. For a crisis or just someone to talk to.
NAMI HelpLine
CallInformation, support and referrals (not a crisis line), weekdays: 1-800-950-6264, or text “helpline” to 62640.
SAMHSA National Helpline
CallFree, confidential treatment referral for mental health and substance use, 24/7, English and Spanish: 1-800-662-4357.
Eldercare Locator
CallFind local help for older adults and caregivers — meals, rides, respite, benefits counseling: 1-800-677-1116, weekdays.
Sources
- NIMH. Older Adults and Depression.
- NIA. Depression and Older Adults.
- Medicare.gov. Depression screenings.
- Medicare.gov. Mental health care (outpatient).
- CDC. Older Adult Fall Prevention.
- American Geriatrics Society (2023). Updated AGS Beers Criteria® for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc.
- NIA. Loneliness and Social Isolation — Tips for Staying Connected.
- Institute on Aging. Friendship Line.
- Eldercare Locator (U.S. Administration for Community Living).
Reviewed September 2026. Education only — not medical advice.