Tips for Helping Your Senior Avoid Depression
October 16, 2018
Depression is one of the most common health issues throughout the United States. Each year in this country, more than 18 million adults suffer from depression. This can be a detrimental issue, and can greatly diminish your seniors health, well-being, and quality of life. As a family caregiver, it is important to not only help your parent to manage feelings of depression should they arise, but also to take steps to help reduce the risk of the disease, and prevent them from feeling depression as much as possible. While it is not always possible to completely prevent depression, you can help your senior reduce the risk and lower the impact of this disease.
Elder Care in Menlo Park CA: Helping Your Senior Avoid Depression
Use these tips to help your senior avoid depression:
- Make sure they continue to feel important and a part of the family. Include them in activities and events, and invite them to join the rest of your family on outings, to events or performances with your children, and stay in touch with them even when you are not providing direct care.
- Spend quality time with them outside of your care efforts for them. Enjoy watching a favorite movie, going for a walk, going out to eat, or just talking.
- Encourage them to participate in activities outside of the home that allows them to socialize and get valuable emotional stimulation and support.
- Encourage them to volunteer or otherwise participate in activities that help them feel as though they are giving back to the world around them. This can reduce feelings of irrelevance that contribute to depression.
- Help your parent manage their health issues as effectively as possible. Make sure treatments and interventions are designed with their individuality in mind, and if they are unhappy with this, that they know they can seek out another opinion.
- If your parent is concerned about a specific health issue or need, help them to address it, and find ways to maintain their lifestyle as much as possible.