WQMag.com


For most of us, the holiday season is festive and merry. But for some older people, it represents a time of sadness. The holidays may be a reminder of a past when they did not feel so alone, of a time of better physical health, or of all that they have lost. The holidays may have triggered depression, or it may be a long-standing depression that you haven’t been around your loved ones enough to notice during the year.

When visiting elderly loved ones this holiday season, be conscious of the triggers and signs of depression. The longer people live, the more people they see die. It is normal to grieve when a spouse, friend, pet or loved one dies, but a prolonged period where all joy appears lost may indicate depression. Other triggers are feeling a loss of purpose after retirement or physical health problems that affect quality of life, perhaps no longer allowing them to live independently. Even some medications can prompt depression.

Signs to Look For:

-Changes in personal hygiene or grooming, less of an interest in how they present themselves

-Death as a primary topic of conversation

-A cluttered or unkempt home

-Isolation/Withdrawal

-Less interest shown in activities they used to enjoy, including the holiday festivities

-Major changes in physical health

-Reduced appetite

-Mood swings

-Lethargy

-Increased alcohol usage

-Anxiety

-Irritability

-Hopelessness

-Difficulties with sleep

When depression lasts more than a couple of weeks,
counseling and possibly medication should be considered. Make sure treatment isn’t stopped prematurely. Medication compliance with the elderly can be particularly difficult. Emphasize the need to take anti-depressant medications as prescribed and to persevere; it may take anywhere from several weeks to several months before there is significant improvement. Seek help immediately, if there is a threat of suicide; the risk is higher for the elderly.

Your encouragement to seek treatment is important as only 10 percent of the depressed elderly seek treatment. Many older people were raised in an environment which did not encourage the expression of feelings—where the attitude was to “just get over it.” To talk about their emotional problems may represent a stigma or a level of vulnerability with which they are not comfortable.

What you can do:

• Listen with compassion, and without judgment.

• Normalize what they are going through. Depression strikes 1 in 7 elderly people.

• Let them know depression is treatable, and recovery is possible.

• Point out the brighter side of reality; offer hope.

• Encourage them to get proper medical care, perhaps even accompanying them to appointments.

• Invite them to join you in outings. Kindly insist, if your loved one refuses.

• Involve them in regular social activities amongst peers.

• When relatives live long distance, keep in contact by phone or mail.

Family holiday gatherings are an opportunity to recognize depression in older relatives.
This holiday, give the best gift of all—the gift of love by showing you care and helping them to get the help they need.

By Amy Warren, LMHC

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