Common Psychological Problems Faced by Seniors and How to Help Them

Aging not only affects physical health. It affects a person’s mental health too. As a person starts aging many mental disorders start showing up like memory loss, feeling lonely and depressed, weakened thinking ability etc. Today, I am going to discuss the common psychological problems faced by senior people and share some steps to help our beloved elders to cope up with those problems.

  ♦  Dementia: Our cognitive health is focused on our ability to think, remember and learn but as we age we began to face issues with our cognitive health. The most common cognitive health issue faced by our beloved seniors is Dementia which affects memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with the daily life of our beloved seniors. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia that seniors above 65 suffer from. Prevailing chronic health conditions, smoking, substance abuse can trigger the risk of dementia more. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 15% of elderly people above the age of 60 suffer from a mental disorder.

  ♦  Depression:  Depression is the most commonly occurring mental disorder in almost every senior. Unfortunately, depression is often underdiagnosed and untreated. The cause of depression among seniors can be many like their children, due to better job prospects have settled abroad and they are living alone or they are suffering from some chronic health diseases like cancer and sometimes the untimely loss of a loved one can also be a cause of depression among the seniors. 

  ♦  Anxiety Disorders: It is often seen that seniors suffer from constant anxiety disorders, excessive worry about everyday events and issues which have a real impact on their ability to function normally. Senior women are more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder than men.

  ♦  Eating Disorder: Eating disorder is becoming prevalent among the elderly like Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa. Underlying psychological issues that cause eating disorders often go undetected, aggravating the condition further.

  ♦  Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorders in senior people  are often marked by unusual mood shifts  accompanied by irritation, anger etc.

Now I am going to share some steps which you can follow to help your beloved elders to cope up with such problems so that they can lead a normal and comfortable life.

   →  Proper counseling by a good psychiatrist along with antidepressant medicines can help our seniors with depression. The counseling can help in understanding the root cause of depression which will make the treatment easier because medications often work best when talk therapy is used in addition to the medication. Certain medication and rehabilitation and occupational therapy can help seniors manage dementia-related mental disorders. Professional psychiatrists can be hired from an elder care service provider, they can come to home to give proper care. 

   →  Spend quality time with your beloved seniors so that they don’t feel left out and ignored. Loneliness and feeling neglected or unwanted are also some of the major causes of depression among seniors. I know very well that we all have job commitments that we need to fulfill sincerely but spending some time with our beloved elders is also very much required to keep them healthy, happy and comfortable. Discuss family matters with them, encourage them to give their opinion on family matters. Make them feel special on their birthdays and anniversaries. Plan surprise outings for them during weekends you can also arrange classic movie nights at your house for your beloved seniors and their friends along with snacks and food. If you live abroad then make sure to call them daily or at least during the weekends. 

   →  Encourage your beloved seniors to take up hobbies like gardening, painting or if they are interested in cooking and baking they can try their hands in cooking some special dishes or baking their favorite cakes and cookies. This will help them to feel relaxed and happy. 
   →  Also, make sure seniors socialize to keep themselves stress-free and happy. Encourage your seniors for morning or evening walks if they don’t have any major health issues that restrict movements. This will not only help in taking care of their beloved heart and body but also they can make new friends with whom they can share their thoughts which will help them to overcome loneliness and depression.

   →  Medications, psychotherapy can help senior people deal with anxiety, bipolar and eating disorders. 

   →  Last but not least  be regular with the  checkups and counseling sessions  of your beloved seniors.

These are some of the steps you can undertake to help your beloved seniors to overcome common psychological problems and lead a happy and healthy life.