By Cynthia K. Klinowski, RN, MSN
Was your parent always the life of the party,
telling entertaining stories and cracking jokes? As a parent were they caring, affectionate
and supportive? Did the stories fall away? Did you stop hearing from them; they weren't interested much in your life anymore?
What has changed?
Depression goes undercover among our older population, yet more than 6.5
million of the 35 million Americans aged 65 and older are affected by
depression, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Senior depression has many causes, but foremost are
retirement, a sense of purpose, the death of a loved one, isolating oneself, financial
worries and medical problems. Heart
disease, chronic pain and chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and kidney
disease, are triggers for depression.
Sometimes, prescription
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| A depressed man sitting on a bench (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
medicines, in particular some pain killers and
sedation medications, also trigger depression.
There are many reasons why depression among our
seniors may be difficult to spot:
Because of the stigma associated with seeking this kind of (mental
health) treatment, depressed people may try to hide their predicament. Also, the depressive state may cause
individuals to isolate themselves from friends and family and keep them from their
regular activities.
Detecting depression in seniors also may be tricky
because many signs of depression are attributed to the aging process
itself: A lack of energy, loss of
appetite, disrupted or less sleep—these are all things we expect as we age.
But they need not occur, and sometimes the result of
depression—not age. There’s a decreased
level of energy as we age. And the
elderly sleep less in general, but depression makes it harder for them to get a
good night’s sleep.
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| Learning about people's experiences of dementia (Photo credit: The Prime Minister's Office) |
Some notable signs of senior depression include
irritability, physical complaints and cognitive impairment. Depression sometimes can mask itself as
someone having dementia, but you treat the depression and the normal cognitive
function gets back to normal.
This is why anyone who suspects a loved one may be
depressed needs to help that individual seek treatment. Fear of dementia interferes with seeking
treatment, but an individual’s loss of cognitive skills may be caused by
untreated depression. Not only is the
depression treatable, but some forms of cognitive impairment
respond well to
treatment.
Relationship proves to be the key to detecting
depression and getting a loved one to seek medical help. Get an individual feeling safe, and they may
trust you to help them. It’s really
hearing what a person saying and meeting their needs.
While some physical ailments can trigger depression,
the depressive state can worsen pre-existing medical conditions. Statistics show that when depression is
treated in the elderly, the outcome of their physical illnesses improve. Pay attention and seek medical attention to
help diagnose Depression or Dementia.
If you find you need an Assisted Living Facility,
Nursing Home or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will
consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts and
ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping
people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about.
We look forward to reading yours.
Cynthia K. Klinowski, RN, MSN, is a co-owner and
senior medical officer of several Assisted Living Facilities in Florida and a
guest blogger for SeniorFacilityFinder.com
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