ABSTRACT
Depression is a formidable illness currently threatening the well-being of countless community elderly. Their social isolation, the physical changes of aging, and a societal focus on youth and the roles and skills of the young, cause this group to be particularly vulnerable to depression. After several years of working with institutionalized elderly psychiatric patients, many of whom had been admitted for depression, the author's focus turned to prevention stimulated by a course taken in the advanced Occupational Therapy Program at Columbia University. As part of a related practicum at a senior center, the author designed and implemented a time-limited program to foster independence and prevent depression, as well as to observe the multidisciplinary efforts being made toward this end on an experimental basis. The 'Wellness Program' is based on several frames of reference that form a comprehensive approach to preventing depression and promoting the health of the community elderly.
