Suicide in late life

Late-life suicide is a persistent threat and a reality from which no one emerges unscathed. Family members and significant others feel guilty and inconsequential. Assisted living residence staff is demoralized. The residents feel frightened and confused. Although constituting only 13% of the population in the United States, older adults accounted for 18% of suicide deaths in the later 1990s. There is at present a national strategy for suicide prevention among youth under 19 years and adults aged 65 years and older. The assisted living community that fosters independence and self-determination can be, simultaneously, an environment in which the warning signs of suicidal ideation and self-destruction can be missed. This article discusses risk factors of suicide, the association of depression with suicide, basic screening tools, and supportive actions.