Home Care Helps Ease Depression in Older Adults

Depression is a problem for many elderly adults. While they may be perfectly healthy in the physical sense, aging adults often experience sadness or depression as a result of getting older and being alone more often. The elderly face many difficult challenges, such as medical problems or the loss of a spouse or loved one. Particularly for those without a strong support system made up of friends and family, depression can become a prevailing factor in their lives. Depression is not a necessary part of growing old, nor is it normal. In actuality, most elderly people are satisfied with their lives.

One solution to depression in aging adults is home care. Durham, NC residents are finding that providing part time or live-in at-home caregivers for their aging loved ones helps to ease the pain of depression. By having an experienced, compassionate caregiver come in and provide home care, the senior citizen has someone to keep them company and help them with chores and errands they may not otherwise be able to do. This gives them an increased sense of independence, mobility, accomplishment, and probably the most valuable gift of all - friendship. In many cases, when an elderly person has home care, they have an instant companion. This alone can boost their quality of life exponentially.

Let's say that you are the son or daughter of an elderly parent who has been living alone for a while. Have they had an increasingly difficult time doing regular household chores? Are you concerned about their driving skills? Are they spending less time in the company of others? Are they exhibiting signs of depression? Some signs of depression in older adults include fatigue, sadness, lack of interest in social activities or hobbies, a reluctance to leave the house, weight loss, sleeping problems (lack of sleep or oversleeping), feelings of worthlessness, worries about becoming a burden, alcohol or drug abuse, a fixation on death, etc. If you've noticed any of these signs in the behavior of your parent, perhaps a good option would be to talk to an agency that provides home care Durham, NC residents have more than a few of these care providers at their disposal.

A few ways home care can help elderly folks exhibiting symptoms of depression are by getting them out of the house, engaging them in activities, providing stimulus, providing companionship, helping them to clean their house and run errands, helping them plan and prepare healthy meals, making sure they are taking their medications as instructed, scheduling regular outings, giving them events to look forward to, encouraging them to follow through with treatment plans and therapies, and keeping watch for signs of severe depression or thoughts of suicide. Finally, someone providing home care to your elderly parent can keep you informed about their state of mind and overall well-being. This alone can give you the peace of mind that you've been looking for, provided that you've hired someone you like and trust to provide home care to your loved one.

In the later years of their lives, seniors deserve to be happy and feel a continued sense of vitality. Home care is just one wonderful way to give them back their "golden years." This should be a time when the elderly can relax and simply enjoy a life without worry and sadness.