NHS North Cumbria Talking Therapies and older adults

Depression and anxiety disorders aren’t just something that affects younger generations. Here at NHS North Cumbria Talking Therapies we have no upper age limit to the people we work with and have successfully worked with many people over the age of 65.

We all worry or feel low from time to time, and usually these feelings fade away on their own. When they don’t just go away or start to interfere with your day to day life, North Cumbria Talking Therapies can help you get back on track.

People can often get stuck:
• Feeling sad, low or depressed
• Worrying about things
• Having flashbacks or nightmares about a traumatic incident
• Having to perform tasks repeatedly, or in a certain way in order to feel better
• Avoiding places or situations that cause them to feel anxious

Often when people feel low or anxious they will notice symptoms such as feeling tired all the time, finding it harder to concentrate, physical symptoms such as a racing heart and shortness of breath or changes to their sleep or appetite.

All of these problems can prevent you from enjoying life to the full.
Our mental health affects how we think and feel and how we cope with life’s ups and downs

Do you want to…
• Cope better with traumatic memories or things that have happened to you?
• Overcome panic?
• ‘Pick up the pieces’ after setbacks in life have left you feeling sad, down or hopeless?
• Feel more confident in crowded places or travelling on public transport?
• Worry less, feel more relaxed and enjoy life more?
• Learn new ways of keeping low mood or depression at bay?
• Free yourself from obsessional behaviours such as excessive checking or washing?
• Feel less anxious around people?

Myth: Depression is an inevitable part of getting older.
Fact: Age alone is not a risk factor for depression. Older people have lower rates of depression than working age adults.

Myth: Depression in later life can’t be treated effectively.
Fact: National and local recovery rates for depression in older adults show that when older people access talking therapies they do better than those under 65.

Myth: Older people are unable to learn or change.
Fact: Older people are less likely to drop out of therapy than younger people.

North Cumbria Talking Therapies offer talking therapies for depression and anxiety disorders for adults at every stage of life. If you think you might benefit from the service we offer, please look around our website to find out more about what we do.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get an appointment?
We ask that everyone refer themselves to the service by completing our online form HERE. You can get help from a family member or friend to complete this form, or if you have difficulty accessing the internet we can send you a paper form. Just give us a call on 0300 123 9122. Alternatively you can request a referral from your GP or practice nurse.

What happens then?
Once you have done this you can call us to arrange your initial assessment appointment which will usually take place on the telephone. The purpose for this phone call is to make sure we offer you the right service at the right time. If we think that North Cumbria Talking Therapies is the right service for you, you will then be allocated to a practitioner in your area to commence sessions, usually face to face.

What if I can’t use the telephone?
If you feel anxious when talking on the phone, you can have someone help with you with the initial contact. Just make sure you are together when you call, and as long as you tell us it’s okay, we are happy to take your details from a friend or family member.

If you are hard of hearing, or have any other difficulties with the telephone, please let us know and we can arrange for you to meet face to face with a practitioner for your initial assessment appointment. We are happy for you to bring someone with you to this assessment appointment.

Can I see an older therapist?
It will not always be possible to arrange to see someone older. All of our practitioners and therapists in North Cumbria Talking Therapies are appropriately trained and supervised and we have practitioners from all age ranges.

What if I have difficulty getting to appointments?
We don’t offer home visits in North Cumbria Talking Therapies, but some therapies are suitable to be delivered on the phone and we also offer a computerised programme that can be done at home, without the need to attend face to face appointments. If this is something that might help, please let us know.  It may be that if you struggle to get out, another service might be more suitable for you so we would suggest talking to your GP about this first.

We will try to accommodate you in any way we can, so if we need to provide a ground floor room or if you would prefer to be seen at certain times please let us know. We can’t guarantee that we offer suitable arrangements, but we will try.

What if I have difficulties remembering things?
If you find it hard to remember information from your sessions, please discuss this with your practitioner as we can ensure we look for ways to help with this. Memory difficulties are common when we are feeling low or anxious and it may improve. If you are worried about your memory, please do let us know.

Our launch page provides details of all the different ways you can access North Cumbria Talking Therapies.