Depression in older adults is more common than a lot of family caregivers realize. There can be so many different reasons for this, too. Your elderly family member may be upset about things she can’t do anymore or she might be experiencing side effects from health issues or from medications that treat her health issues. It’s important to dig a little bit deeper to help your elderly family member to find solutions.
Address Physical and Medical Needs
First take a look at how your senior is feeling physically. If she has health conditions that are a consistent issue for her, are those under control? Experiencing physical issues can contribute to depression, so it’s important to make sure that any underlying health concerns are addressed first. From there you can start to branch out a bit more.
Talk to Your Senior about What Might Help
Elder Care in Seminole FL
Take some time to talk to your senior about what she’s experiencing. Ask her what she thinks might help with how she’s feeling. It could be that she’s feeling isolated and alone, or that new difficulties with keeping up with life’s tasks are getting to her. Finding solutions for those issues can be incredibly helpful. Hiring elder care providers to help with personal care tasks or household tasks might seem as if it would make her feel worse, but this can actually be empowering for your senior.
Help Her to Become More Active, if Possible
People who are depressed tend to be less active than they really should be. If this is the case for your elderly family member, then being more physically active could be a good idea. This doesn’t have to be big or complicated, either. Just spending a little time stretching in the morning or in the evening can be more helpful than you might think.
Talk to Her Doctor, Too
Don’t forget to loop her doctor in on what’s going on. There may be situations that you didn’t think of, like changes to her medication, that are contributing. Her doctor can also look deeper into some of what your senior is experiencing to rule out possible new health issues that could be making depression symptoms worse.
Your elderly family member doesn’t have to deal with depression completely on her own. It helps for her to know that you’re there and that you just want to help in any way that you can.
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Elder Care in Seminole, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
Latest posts by Becky Moultrie (see all)
- Five Things You Should Know About In-Home Care - April 7, 2023
- Are There Healthy Alternatives to Caffeine for Seniors? - March 31, 2023
- Home Care Assistance Covers a Range of Services and Support - March 24, 2023
Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
