[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 77 (Thursday, May 22, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1059-E1060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       POSITIVE AGING ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2003

  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, May is both Mental Health 
Month and Older Americans Month, and no time to make sure that older 
adults are getting the mental health care they need. Not only do we owe 
our seniors dignity and good health, but providing good mental health 
care to older Americans is good policy. Failure to treat mental 
disorders leads to functional dependence, nursing homes, poorer health 
outcomes for other chronic conditions, and suicide.
  According to the National Institutes of Health, seniors commit 
suicide at a higher rate than any other age group. And in 20 percent of 
those cases, seniors killed themselves the same day they visited their 
primary care doctor. Seventy percent of senior suicides have been to a 
primary care physician the same month.
  There is a severe misunderstanding of mental illness in older adults, 
even among those with medical training. The President's New Freedom 
Commission on Mental Health has identified the failure of seniors to 
receive mental health care as a major problem. The Surgeon General's 
Report on Mental Health found that almost one in five adults over 55 
experiences a specific mental disorder that is not part of the 
``normal'' aging process.
  That's why today, my good friend from Maryland, our Minority Whip, 
and I are introducing the ``Positive Aging Act of 2003''--to improve 
the accessibility and quality of mental

[[Page E1060]]

health services for our rapidly growing population of older Americans. 
While we have made great strides in extending the life span, we 
continue to face the challenge of improving the quality of life for 
America's senior citizens. This legislation is designed to integrate 
mental health services with other primary care services in community 
settings that are easily accessible to the elderly.
  We can effectively treat many of the mental disorders common in older 
Americans, but in far too many instances we are not making such 
treatments available. Unrecognized and untreated mental illness among 
elderly adults can be traced to gaps in training of health 
professionals, and in our failure to fully integrate mental illness 
identification and treatment with other health services. Mental 
illnesses are poorly recognized in many care settings and knowledge 
about effective interventions is simply not reaching primary care 
practitioners. Research has shown that treatment of mental illnesses 
can reduce the need for other health services and can improve health 
outcomes for those with other chronic diseases. These missed 
opportunities to diagnose and treat mental diseases are taking a huge 
toll on the elderly and increasing the burden on their families and our 
health care system.
  Mr. Speaker, I recognize that the stigma associated with mental 
illness, the lack of Medicare coverage for prescription medicines, and 
Medicare benefit discrimination related to mental health services also 
limit appropriate care for the elderly. I am committed to address these 
broader problems through Medicare reform legislation as soon as 
possible. In the meantime, we can and we must take other steps. We must 
increase opportunities for effective diagnosis and treatment of mental 
illness among the elderly. This legislation is intended to do just 
that.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe there are immediate opportunities to 
improve mental health care for older Americans. This legislation can 
help to target our resources on identifying and treating a population 
at high risk for disability and dependence. We have an obligation to 
take what is known about effective treatments and improve the quality 
of life and overall health of millions of seniors. It's not only the 
right thing to do; it's also an investment that will return enormous 
dividends in terms of more economical use of health resources, improved 
patient outcomes, a better quality of life for older Americans.
  I am grateful for the support of my colleagues who have joined me in 
introducing this bill, particularly the gentleman from Maryland, and 
for the many advocates out in our communities across the country who 
are leading the way with strong initiatives and good examples. I 
particularly would like to recognize the American Association for 
Geriatric Psychiatry for their tireless leadership in the area of 
mental health for seniors.
  I hope that this House will join me in honoring the citizens who have 
built this great country by ensuring that they get the full range of 
health services they need.

                          ____________________