You might not realize at first that your elderly family member is depressed, but it can be extremely common in the elderly.
Senior Care Whitehall PA – How Can You Help Your Senior Manage Depression?Depression Appears for So Many Reasons
Depression can show up because your elderly family member is grieving or has experienced significant losses, but it can also appear because of hormonal changes. Some medications may increase the risk of depression. Then there’s the complication of seasonal types of depression that arrive because there’s far less sun some times of the year. Talk to your elderly family member’s doctor about what you can do to help your senior avoid depression.
Help Her to Remain Social
Staying involved in her normal social life, even when she’s not excited about the idea, can help your senior to branch out of herself a little bit. Schedule regular outings to do activities and to see people, even if these outings include only your senior and her senior care providers. Finding a new hobby can help some, too.
Watch Her Diet
If your elderly family member is eating healthy foods that keep her body running well, it’s going to take less of a toll on her physically to deal with depression. Depression can make cooking difficult, so either prepare some foods for her ahead of time or work with senior care providers to get some healthy, home-cooked meals into your senior every day.
Encourage Her to Keep Moving
Even if she doesn’t want to get out of bed or off the couch, moving even a little bit each day can really help her to fight depression. The reason for this is that the body releases endorphins during exercise. You don’t want to rush her into this, of course. Only encourage her to exercise as much as her doctor recommends.
Seek out Additional Help
Anybody can have an off day or a blue mood one afternoon. But when it’s becoming a pattern and you’re certain your senior is dealing with depression, it’s time to get help. Talk with her doctor or find a therapist with whom your elderly family member can relate. Getting her the help that she needs can get her back to where she wants to be so much more quickly.
No matter what is causing your senior’s depression, it’s important that neither you nor she are ignoring it. You don’t have to talk about it every single moment of every day, but be aware of what is going on so that you can be supportive.
If you or an aging loved one are in need of Senior Care Services in Whitehall PA or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Extended Family Care of Allentown. Call today at (610) 200-6097.
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