Finding help Recommended reading For most older people, their life is a time of fulfillment, satisfaction with life s accomplishments. For some older adults, however, later life is a time of physical pain, psychological distress, and dissatisfaction with present, and, perhaps, past aspects of life. They feel hopeless about making changes to improve their lives.
Suicide is one possible outcome.
However, the causes of elderly suicide are treatable and suicide is preventable. Each year more than 6,300 older adults take their own lives, which means nearly 18 older Americans kill themselves each day. Suicide is rarely, if ever, caused by any single event or reason. Rather, it results from many factors working in combination which produce feelings of hopelessness and depression. Since suicide for the older person is not an impulsive act, you have a window of opportunity to help the older person get help.