What Might Be Causing Your Senior’s Depression?

Depression is far more common for older adults than many people realize. There are a lot of different reasons why your senior might experience depression, but if you are seeing signs, make sure you talk to her doctor.

Pain, Especially Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is challenging for your senior on multiple levels. Of course, there are the physical effects of pain, but there are also the mental and emotional effects. People who are constantly in pain may have a short temper and may not want to be around people, even people they love. All of this can lead to isolation and to more emotional pain, which then leads into depression.

Poor Health Overall

Health problems are nothing to ignore, either, in terms of depression. Lots of times older adults have gone through their entire lives with few or no health issues, only to find themselves suddenly deal with chronic health conditions that are getting worse all the time. It’s difficult to deal with those emotions and there’s a lot that your senior loses because of poor health.

How Her Brain Is Working

Cognitive changes might be something your senior doesn’t recognize at first, but they can contribute to depression. This works on two different levels, because of the brain’s role in your senior’s overall health. First, there are the emotional impacts of changing cognitive skills. There’s an amount of loss that goes along with losing cognition and it can be incredibly painful. The other consideration is that the brain tends to oversee the chemicals that can contribute to depression and if those parts aren’t functioning properly, your senior might experience chemical imbalances related to depression.

Grief and Loss

Very few older adults reach the latter stages of their lives without losing people and things that meant a lot to them. This grief and loss sometimes doesn’t go away, even after a lot of time. But there are other losses, too, and some of those your senior experiences every single day. As she loses her ability to do certain things or to maintain her life the way she wants, that’s a loss that can lead to feelings of depression.

Fear of the Unknown

Growing older is scary. Even if your elderly family member understands her current health challenges, there’s a lot that might still be unknown. The fear of that unknown can build up, bringing with it anxiety and even depression. It can be a lot to deal with, especially on top of health issues.

Depression is something that your senior can manage with some help. When depression keeps her from feeling able to tackle everyday tasks, elder care providers can take those over for her. Talk to her doctor to determine the best path forward.

Excerpt: Depression can appear for your elderly family member for a variety of different reasons.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Big Timber, MT please contact the caring staff at AdvoCare Home Care Services today at 406-582-5402.