Many have loved ones -- grandparents, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents -- who are approaching old age. Have you seen your loved ones go to a nursing home or do they require in-home care? Do you hurt to see them suffer as they age, with health issues, dementia, Alzheimer's, progressive hearing loss, and depression that commonly plagues the senior population?
Causes of Depression
Depression in the elderly is a significant issue that affects over 6 million Americans age 65 and older. Chronic health issues, death of family and friends, loss of independence, and other factors contribute to depression symptoms that arise. Retirement, moving to a new place, losing the ability to take care of oneself, can bring about the onset of depression as well.
The Dangers
The dangers of depression in elderly adults is very real and also difficult to spot, due to other illnesses and emotional issues that doctors are trying to treat. In the process of treating other illnesses, they sometimes miss the signs of depression.
Even more alarming, this condition causes an increased chance of dying -- from doubling their cardiac disease risk to substantially increasing the chance of death from an illness.
High Rate of Suicide
Unfortunately, the rate of suicide among the elderly population is highly influenced by depression. Adults ages 80-84 are generally twice as likely to commit suicide than individuals in the general population.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people age 65 and older who committed suicide ranked at 16 percent of suicide deaths in 2004, even though they only accounted for 12 percent of the general population. Alarmingly, up to 75 percent of elderly adults who committed suicide had visited a physician within a month prior to their death
Signs of Depression
Because of the serious prevalence of depression in the aging population, it is important to notice the signs of depression.
- Feeling hopeless or worthless
- Delayed movement and delayed speech
- Suicidal thoughts or talking excessively about wanting to die
- Inability to function normally, whether at home, work, or school
- Pervasive feeling of guilt and shame
- Hearing or seeing things that are not there
- Loss of appetite
- Decrease in energy
- Withdrawal from family and friends
These are just a few symptoms to watch out for if you sense that your loved one may be depressed. Since the illness is relatively common, but can go undetected or ignored by doctors, it is important as an individual to recognize the signs of depression in the elderly and what can be done to help them.
Ways to Help
It is important to address helpful strategies to aid those who are hurting:
- Addressing the symptoms instead of ignoring them
- Be willing to lend a listening ear to them and ask how they are feeling
- Be wary of subtle signs of depression - agitation, anxiety, irritability
- Use positive words in talking with the person - negative terms such as "depression", "illness", etc. can cause the individual to be more reluctant to seek help if they believe they are fine
- Realize that depression does not have a cure-all effect; it is a severe illness
- Don't become overbearing or controlling; let the person have freedom to make his/her own choices in daily living
- Be as involved in the care of your loved one's medical issues as possible - with their permission
Depression itself can be a potentially life-debilitating and fatal illness. The sooner that a loved one seeks help for the illness, the easier it will be for that person to manage his/her symptoms in daily life. This aging population can still be living on their own, living with their children, in assisted living, or in nursing homes. Wherever they are, depression strikes. If you or someone you know may be experiencing depression, seek help now - before it is too late.
Anna Rundle - Anna was a communications intern and graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Professional and Technical Communications.
