Home Care in Falls Church VA: Depression & Your Senior

Depression is treatable.

It can be helped with therapy, medications, or a mix of both. Left untreated, depression may make it hard to function and can lead to suicidal thoughts. Don’t let this happen to your mom or dad. Don’t ignore the signs of depression.

What Are the Signs of Depression?

More than 6 out of 10 men and women over the age of 65 admit they don’t know much about depression. Some of the key signs are a change in appetite, sleeping pattern changes, and a constant feeling of sadness.

Someone who is depressed may withdraw from friends and family.

Refusing to get out of bed is common. A senior citizen with depression may be restless and irritable. It can be hard to concentrate. Often, the senior will feel worthless and even feel physical pain for which doctors can find no reason for that pain.

Feeling blue once in a while is normal. If the sadness lasts for weeks and weeks, it could be depression. If you suspect something is wrong, call your mom or dad’s doctor to ask for advice.

Caregivers Can Help Ease Depression

One of the things an expert in depression may suggest is to make sure your mom or dad gets out of the house often. Your parent will benefit from finding a new hobby, daily exercise, and plenty of socialization. This can be hard to get at home when you live alone and no longer drive.

With a caregiver available throughout the week, your mom or dad has a ride to the local senior center for social activities. There’s a caregiver on hand for companionship. Your parent can go on walks with the caregiver and feel safe while walking down the street or along a trail or path.

Diet also helps ease depression.

Fresh vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help balance the brain chemicals. Elder care services include things like meal preparation, grocery shopping, and even menu planning.

Talk to an elder care agency today to get started. You arrange the services and times that best meet your parent’s needs. Involve your parent from the start and help them avoid fears of losing independence by asking for help. Call now.

If you or a loved-one are considering Home Care in Falls Church, VA, please contact the caring staff at Quality Health Services LLC.  Call today 703-910-7081

Sources:

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/

Home Care Services in Springfield VA: Senior Grief or Depression?

Depression and grief can look very similar from the outside.  People who are grieving can be extremely sad, but that may not be actual depression.  Determining the differences between these two conditions can ensure that you get the right help for your elderly family member.

Grief Can Lead to Depression, but They’re Different

Grief involves loss, whether that’s loss of a person or some other type of loss.  Depression can be a result of a loss, but it’s still quite different from grief.  Depression is more a pervasive sadness that takes over your aging adult’s life.  Sometimes it’s not so easy to tell the difference between the two.

Grief Is All the Emotions

When your elderly family member is grieving, she’s going to have good days and days that aren’t so good.  She may also experience a wide range of emotions from some of the highest highs to the lowest lows.  During the grieving process, your elderly family member might choose to go through her happy memories, before the loss, and there are emotions associated with that.  It’s a constant up and down of all of the emotions.

Depression Is More Constant

Depression, on the other hand, is much less like a roller coaster.  It’s fairly even-keeled if a little bit of a downer.  In fact, that’s the source of depression’s name.  Your aging family member’s entire emotional aspect is depressed and held low.  She’s likely to be feeling extreme sadness, all the time, as opposed to having good days and bad days.

Seek Help for Your Aging Adult

If you’re witnessing your elderly family member dealing with either grief or depression, talk to her doctor about what you can do for her.  There may be medications or other types of treatment, such as talking to a counselor, that your elderly family member is willing to try.  But ignoring the issue won’t help at all.

Whether your elderly family member is experiencing grief or depression, make sure that life is simple for her now.  Consider hiring elderly care providers to take over some of the tasks that are becoming difficult for her.

If you or a loved-one are considering home care services in Springfield, VA, please contact the caring staff at Quality Health Services LLC. Call today 703-910-7081.