Elderly Callers and Suicide Risk

Talking to someone who is older about suicide can be challenging and also very rewarding. Elderly folks tend to talk explicitly about suicide. They may describe their wish to die in a very direct way. They may talk about making a specific plan or describe preparatory actions like selling their things or writing a suicide notes. Even with a strong suicidal desire, the caller may not have imminent risk for suicide. Does the caller have access to lethal means? It is important to thoroughly assess for suicide before thinking about active rescue, or emergency procedures.

Some older callers who call the crisis lines may be calling the crisis lines for the first time, or they may be accessing a mental health resource for the first time. Our role is to help the caller feel comfortable to talk about their lives. Use your rapport building skills, and curiosity to build a connection with the caller. The elderly caller make talk about feeling burdensome on their loved one, their failing health, the grief of losing their friends or life partner, loneliness, or what it means to die. We live in a society that does not really value older people. This can drastically increase a person’s sense of isolation. The caller may bring up feelings of hopelessness, and powerlessness. These are all factors that contribute to suicide risk.

Allowing the caller to tell their story can bring extreme relief to the caller. You don’t have to change how he feels. It is about meeting and accepting the caller where he is at. Open the doors to conversation by exploring what it means to live and what it means to die.
Remember to take care of yourself and get support. Talking to someone who is seriously thinking about suicide can be draining. The call can remind us of the people we love in our own lives. Talk to you shift partner, trainer, or shift supervisor about what comes up for you in your work here at CSS.

For your information, here is a link to the latest statistics on elder suicide for the American Association on Suicidology.

http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=235&name=DLFE-487.pdf