Having feelings of sadness or disappointment is completely normal and part and parcel of life. However, depression is different from these familiar sensations. It can easily affect a person’s ability to live out their life and even carry out activities of daily living that are essential for a good life. If this occurs for a prolonged period of time, it can severely affect someone’s quality of life.
Older adults are more prone to depression due to the life events that generally occur in their later years. This can include the death of a loved one, loss of independence, lacking a sense of purpose, debilitating health conditions, and many other different changes in their capabilities. If you are worried about someone in your life who may be experiencing depression, here is more information about the condition and why assisted living may be the solution for seniors with depression.
What Is Depression?
Depression or major depressive disorder is the condition where someone is feeling overwhelming feelings of sadness and disappointment. This is also associated with the loss of interest in things that they previously enjoyed. Beyond this, the different symptoms and causes vary a lot from person to person. For example, some people will have issues with memory, concentrating, fatigue, and insomnia. However, others may deal with overeating, sleeping too much, suicidal thoughts, and digestive issues. The best way to get a sense of someone’s level of depression is to notice the changes that have happened to their regular mental space and living habits and to observe the intensity and frequency of the changes.
Risk Factors and Causes for Depression
Age is a risk factor for depression. This is not just because of the different big lifestyle changes that occur for older adults, but also because it can be a result of severe medical illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes. It becomes a concerning cycle as these health conditions can contribute to depressive episodes and depression then becomes a worrying factor that makes the conditions worse. Even worse, the effects of a health condition can mask the symptoms of depression, leading the mood disorder to be undiagnosed and untreated.
Other than medical conditions, there is a variety of different causes such as a loss of independence, a family history of depression, medication, and possibly even seasonal changes and lack of sunlight.
How Can Assisted Living Help?
Assisted living communities are a type of residential care for older adults that offer long-term services. Their services, programs, and amenities are all thoughtfully designed to ensure that older adults are able to enjoy optimal levels of independence while still having round-the-clock access to the assistance that they require. This can range from meal preparation, medication management, to help with activities of daily living like housekeeping, dressing, and toileting. More importantly, there is support from trained professionals who are familiar with different health conditions associated with older adults as well as therapy services that can help with depression management. In fact, residents are likely to have a care management team who will work closely with the family to provide individualized plans to help with achieving a fulfilling life.
