About 6% of adults 65 or older suffer from depression. Depression may appear after being diagnosed with a chronic illness, such as Alzheimer’s or cancer, or it may be caused by the death of a spouse or life partner. About 33% of older adults experience depression after becoming a widow, and 50% remain depressed a year later. How can Companion Care at Home help your senior?
Here’s the alarming part. Almost seven out of ten adults 65 or older don’t always understand depression. They figure it will go away or can be treated at home. They feel it’s a normal part of aging. Do you know the signs?
- Changes in eating habits
- Digestive problems
- Difficulty with insomnia
- Fatigue and lack of energy
- Frequent sadness
- Irritability or anger
- Troubles with concentration or memory
- Unexplained aches and pains
Of those who are clinically depressed, about 3% receive treatment from a mental health professional. This is important as an average of 50% of patients are properly diagnosed by their general practitioner. A proper diagnosis is important to ensure an effective treatment plan.
How Can You Best Support Your Mom?
The problem with depression is that you don’t always want to surround yourself with people. Your mom may tell people she wants to be alone. You know she needs to stay active, and do what you can to get her to stick to a routine.
If your mom gets up at the same time each morning, she’ll be able to take her medications on time. Have her awaken at the same hour, hop in the shower, and take her prescription pills. She can eat and go for a walk.
She might struggle to do these things on her own. With a home care aide stopping by, she has someone to encourage her to take a walk and even join her. She has caregivers to help her clean her home, cook meals, and do the laundry.
Your mom may benefit from going on trips and staying active. She can have her caregiver join her on outings to area stores, restaurants, parks, museums, and more. She has company for her activities, which helps her feel less alone.
Eating a balanced diet can help. She needs to avoid or limit sugary snacks, foods high in saturated fat, and processed foods with little nutritious value. Whole foods with an abundance of vitamins and minerals can help her feel better.
Companion Care at Home is Vital to Your Mom’s Mental Health
Your mom may want to shut others out, but it’s important for her to surround herself with a strong support team. Make companion care at home services part of her care plan. With caregivers stopping by, your mom has others checking in, eliminating the loneliness or emptiness she feels each day.
Companion care at home is easy to arrange. Compile a list of questions you and your mom have. Use that to guide you when you call a home care agency and ask to talk about companionship services.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Companion Care at Home Ridgefield, CT, please contact the caring staff at Elderly Caregivers, LLC today. (203) 628-7438
Sources:
https://www.mhanational.org/depression-older-adults-more-facts
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