MIRANDA JAMISONAs more adults face chronic health conditions with age, Excelsior Springs Hospital’s Senior Life Solutions (SLS) program is working to spotlight how those illnesses can deeply affect mental health.SLS recently released guidance on ways aging, physical disease and emotional well-being are often intertwined and how that connection can create a cycle that worsens both.“As we get older, dealing with chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis becomes more common,” stated SLS Program Director Carmen Smith. “But while most people focus on the physical challenges that accompany these conditions, it’s just as important to recognize the impact they can have on mental health. In fact, chronic illnesses and mental well-being are closely connected, often affecting each other in ways that can make coping with these issues even more difficult.”According to Smith, chronic illness and mental he...