Hotline receivesgrant

Statistics show that one elderly person commits suicide every 95 minutes.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A $15,000 grant from the Episcopal Community Services Foundation will help pay for a crisis worker at Help Hotline to assist with calls from senior citizens.
Duane Piccirilli, executive director of Help Hotline, said a crisis worker assigned to assist with calls from senior citizens is needed, not only to assist elderly residents with daily needs, but because of the potential for suicide among the elderly.
Piccirilli said the senior population is a high-risk group for suicide, along with teenagers. According to statistics from the American Association of Suicidology, the elderly make up 12.3 percent of the population but account for 17.5 percent of all suicides. Nationally, that works out to one elderly suicide every 95 minutes.
Recognizing suicides
Piccirilli noted, however, that such statistics account only for reported suicides. He said suicide among the elderly is sometimes difficult to recognize.
In the case of an elderly person who dies of a drug overdose or from taking the wrong medication, for example, the death could be attributed to the person's mental state. The death could be seen as accidental, that the person took too much medication or the wrong kind out of confusion rather than on purpose.
Mahoning County Suicide Prevention Coalition reported that although most people assume young people are more likely to commit suicide -- and it is the largest killer of young people 15 to 24 -- adult males from 35 to 55 actually commit suicide at a far greater rate than youths.
The coalition said the elderly are at significant risk; among the elderly older than 75, attempts are more lethal. Elderly older than 75 are more likely to use guns, and less likely to seek help, they said.
Risk factors
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, risk factors for suicide among the elderly differ from those among the young. In addition to a higher prevalence of depression, the elderly are more socially isolated, more frequently use highly lethal methods to commit suicide and have more physical illnesses. The institute also noted that suicide rates among the elderly are highest for those who are divorced or widowed.
Help Hotline is a 24-hour information and referral agency as well as a certified suicide intervention hotline, Piccirilli said. Besides helping to fund the crisis counselor, Piccirilli said the Episcopal Community Services Foundation grant will also be used to help promote Help Hotline's 24-hour number among senior citizens in Mahoning and Columbiana counties. He said the program is also supported locally by St. John's Episcopal Church, Youngstown.
Help Hotline's numbers are (330) 747-2696 in Mahoning County, and (330) 424-7767 in Columbiana County.
tullis@vindy.com