Published: March 05, 2008 11:33 pm      

Coroner: Senior suicide all too common

Studies show older adults commit suicide at nearly twice the national average, and men ages 80 and older are six times more likely than the general population to kill themselves.

The actual numbers probably are higher, the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology reports, noting some medication overdoses and apparent accidents are probably suicides.

Loneliness and depression often lead to suicide, Cambria County Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said.

“We are all living longer,” Kwiatkowski said. “The quantity of life is better, but the quality of life always isn’t. They have to deal with illnesses. They get depressed because they can’t always do the things they like to do.”

Withdrawal, the recent loss of a loved one and changes in eating or sleeping habits can be warning signs. The coroner’s office conducts regular suicide prevention programs at senior centers and apartment buildings.

“When they are homebound, we have to watch them,” Kwiatkowski said.

Seniors who feel depressed or family members who are concerned should contact the senior’s primary-care doctor, Kwiatkowski advises. Seniors should get involved at their senior centers, join a club or take up a hobby to keep their minds active, he said.

“Ninety-five percent of suicides are when people are alone,” Kwiatkowski said. “As long as you are with people, you are not going to think about suicide.”

Depression is not a normal part of aging, he stressed.

“Just because you are getting older, doesn’t mean you have to be blue all the time,” Kwiatkowski said.