Is your elderly loved one having symptoms of depression? Maybe, you notice they sleep in much longer than they used to. It could be that they aren’t eating well or they are eating too much. These are just a couple of symptoms of depression that you might notice in your elderly loved one. It may also help to know whether your elderly loved one has a higher risk of depression than the norm. To determine this, you and your Companion Care at Home provider can look through these top risk factors of depression for senior citizens today.
Being a Widow
Did you know that approximately one-third of all widows develop some level of clinical depression? Generally, it occurs shortly after their spouse passes away. However, it can go on for a long time or develop years later, as well. If your elderly loved one is now a widow, you may want to consider this as a risk factor for depression in their life. While it won’t be a replacement for their spouse, you may also want to think about hiring companion care at home providers to spend time with them. Doing this might just take their mind off their spouse a little bit.
Health Problems
There are many senior citizens that face health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, dementia, chronic pain conditions, cancer, and more. If your elderly loved one has any type of health issue, they have a higher risk of becoming depressed. The primary reason for this is that the physical health issues are taking a toll on their body and leading to a lot of stress. The unknown about whether these things are going to get worse and dealing with appointments can make it tough to stay positive.
Changes to Their Lifestyle
Another risk factor of depression for senior citizens is changes to their lifestyle. What exactly could happen that causes depression? It could really be anything including retiring, losing a family member, not being able to take part in a hobby they used to love doing, and much more. If your elderly loved one has a big change to their lifestyle and then they start displaying symptoms of depression, that is likely the cause. While you may not be able to fix the problem that started it, you can help your elderly loved one to see there is still a lot of greatness in their life.
Conclusion
These are some of the top risk factors of depression for senior citizens. Now that you know what they are, you can determine whether your elderly loved one has a higher risk of developing depression. If they do, you can keep a closer eye on their mental health. It may also be a good idea to hire companion care at home providers to spend time with and be around your elderly loved one. These professional caregivers can be there for your elderly loved one for emotional support whenever they need it.
For more information about hiring Companion Care at Home in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/depression-and-older-adults
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