Depression isn't something you usually associate with senior citizens, but senior mental health is a prevalent problem. According to figures from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation cited by the CDC, approximately 4% of older adults aged 70 and over have depression.
Sadly, many of these cases go undiagnosed and untreated. Depression lowers your quality of life by making it difficult to enjoy the things you once found pleasurable, but there's more to it than that. Depression can also cause a significant decline in physical health. Fighting depression needs to be a top priority in elderly wellness strategies.
Do you want to learn more about depression signs in elders and what you can do to support seniors with depression? Read on for some important tips about seeing older adults through the eyes of wellness.
Sadly, people don't always recognize the signs of declining mental health in seniors. Friends, family, or caregivers misinterpret the signs as typical aging. While it's certainly normal to ruminate on regrets as we get older, depression is different.
When you're depressed, it affects everything, even your physical well-being. According to Web MD, some people experience physical pain as a direct result of depression. Depressed people feel a sense of prolonged sadness and hopelessness.
They may also experience significant mood changes, and become irritable and easily distracted. Often they'll withdraw from social activities and communicate less with their loved ones.
Often, seeing older adults through the eyes of wellness is difficult. As a result, depression in seniors isn't always diagnosed. Seniors suffering from mental health issues will often discount their symptoms. Even if they recognize their poor mental health, they might not be comfortable getting help.
Senior citizens with depression might experience:
Sadly, these symptoms are often seen as a normal part of "getting older". In some cases, depression might be mistaken for memory diseases like dementia. As a caregiver or loved one of a senior citizen, it's vital you know how to recognize the signs of depression.
While anyone can suffer from depression, seniors are especially at risk. One explanation is that depression is linked to life transitions. The older you get, the more likely you'll experience things like:
These problems can make you feel like you've lost your sense of purpose, leaving you feeling aimless. It's important to feel like your life has meaning, and most people find meaning in work, hobbies, and relationships. As we get older and retire, we often find ourselves cut off from the things that gave us a sense of purpose.
This means seniors who experience depression may have never had mental health issues before. For example, if someone had a fulfilling career and a happy marriage, they likely went through most of their adult life with a sense of belonging and accomplishment. But when they retire and their spouse passes away, they're cut off from the things that brought them joy and satisfaction.
Once someone is depressed, it makes it much more difficult to engage with the world and maintain social contact. This makes it very difficult for depressed seniors to find purpose again.
The good news is that with proper diagnosis and treatment, senior depression is very treatable.
When depression stems from a lack of meaning, it's easy to turn things around - the key is getting help. According to Better Help, depression can negatively impact your executive functioning. In other words, it kills your motivation and makes it harder to get things done.
Joining a senior living community and taking part in enriching activities is a great way to help a depressed senior feel connected again. But, if they're depressed, they'll likely need a helping hand to get started.
By encouraging depressed seniors to participate in enriching activities with their peers, they'll feel more fulfilled. As they enjoy more activities and start forming new relationships, they'll feel less isolated and hopeless. In time, they'll find themselves again and recover.
Sadly, not all senior depression cases are this easy to handle. Sometimes there are no obvious causes in a senior's personal life, or sometimes boosting their social life doesn't seem to make a difference.
In these more difficult cases, there are still options. One approach involves medication. There are various antidepressant medications available that can help alleviate serious cases of depression. These medications can be very effective at improving treatment-resistant depression.
Medications can also be combined with therapy. Therapeutic techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy can be incredibly effective in fighting depression. Often the biggest challenge is recognizing the problem and through appropriate treatment or therapy seniors can beat depression and live a fulfilling life.
It's difficult to identify depression if the senior suffering from it doesn't tell anyone. That's why families should look out for behavioral changes. If you notice any of the following signs, you should get help for your loved one:
Families should also provide both emotional and practical assistance. For example, families often play a key role in advocating for seniors and helping them access appropriate support. They also support long-term treatment adherence encouraging them to take medications as prescribed and to attend their therapy sessions.
Sometimes depression in seniors goes unnoticed. By seeing older adults through the eyes of wellness you'll learn to see the signs. With proper diagnosis and the right treatment, seniors can regain their sense of purpose and overcome depression.
Family and loved ones play a key role as they can recognize the signs and advocate for treatment. Often, lifestyle changes and meaningful activities are all it takes to return a senior to their old self.
At Lakehouse Senior Living, seniors can enjoy all kinds of enriching activities in a tight-knit community. We're committed to senior mental health and we use varied elderly wellness strategies to fight depression.
Are you interested in learning more about our Three Rivers community? Contact us today to set up a tour.