Discover the best ways to help your parents with depression. Seniorly explores the warning signs and symptoms of elderly depression.
Many aging parents exhibit signs of depression after retirement, but it is sometimes difficult for adult children to know how to deal with them. They may not want to burden their parents by asking or they may be afraid of what the response will be. For an adult child, it can be difficult to understand the unique experiences their aging parent has had during their life and where they should start when trying to help them feel better. This post offers some helpful tips on how you can best handle your aging adults.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 80% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition and 50% have two or more. Depression is most common in older adults that have two or more health conditions.
The CDC also explains that depression is not a normal part of getting older. Although older adults are at an increased risk of experiencing depression there are always treatments available. Depression can be so much more than just sadness or “having the blues” for an older adult. It is a real medical condition that is treatable just like asthma or high blood pressure.
If young parents' depression and offers insight into what might cause this type of emotional distress in older elderly parent is suffering from depression the first step is to help, but you may not be sure how to do so. There are many ways to help such as getting them involved in engaging activities, encouraging exercise, or keeping them social through the use of technology. Another option is to speak to their health care provider and have them provide a treatment plan for your loved one’s depression.
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, many older adults are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed because depression doesn’t always just mean sadness. They may have other symptoms such as:
Many times signs of depression go untreated because the symptoms of depression mimic other medical conditions or health issues as well as a normal part of aging. Many families of the elderly don’t realize that some of the symptoms their loved one might be facing is in fact depression. People often mistake the symptoms of depression as other medical conditions such as:
If you feel your loved one is facing these challenges, seek out medical advice and professional help from their health care providers right away to find out what the best treatment options are.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 80% of older people suffering from depression can be effectively treated. There are several options available to help those that suffer like therapy, medications, being around peers, and alternative therapies. These options can help your loved one live a better quality of life.
Antidepressant medications and therapy both can be very beneficial in treating symptoms of depression. They are both frequently combined together to improve their effectiveness. Research has shown that a person with depression may need to try more than one medication to get the preferred results.
If you feel that your loved one is exhibiting any signs and symptoms of depression it is important to speak to them about how they are feeling. Their generation may feel a lot of stigma surrounding mental health and speaking out about it. Whether it is you or family caregivers, encourage your loved ones to express how they are feeling and let them know it is ok to feel how they are feeling. Let them know that there is nothing wrong with feeling this way and that you are not there to judge, but to listen.
There could be many reasons why your loved one might be suffering from depression. It can vary from hereditary to their surroundings and circumstances. Later in life events can take a toll on any elderly person. Whether they have lost a loved one or they can no longer participate in events due to failing health, depression is real.
Depression is a very common mental illness that can have serious impacts on individuals, their family members, and friends. Early recognition of symptoms combined with treatment may help prevent or lessen these consequences.
We understand that this is a tough time for your family, so we have compiled 10 tips to help you deal with the depression that your parents may be experiencing. Here are some ways to help your aging parent deal with depression:
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