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Tag: mental health

How to Help Seniors Deal with Depression

It is more evident for an elderly person to develop depression as they age. But with the right kind of care, affection, and support, one can help them cope with depression. If your elderly parents or any other senior family member is developing the symptoms of depression and you’re not sure what to do, then this article is just right for you. Here is a list of activities you can take into consideration with your senior loved one.  

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  • Encourage Them to Workout

Research has found that isolation and depression are more common in aging people, and it has directly harmed their minds and health. So, if you come across an elderly person who is suffering from depression, you can encourage them to do exercises such as walking or simple yoga. Being more physically active can help a senior stay in better emotional and mental shape. 

Related: Seniors and Their Life-Space

  • Switch to Healthier Eating

Changing their diet and incorporating fiber-rich fruits and vegetables can also help in dealing with and putting an end to depression of an aging person. You can also create a diet plan and stick to it. Try cutting down on oily food and sugary drinks from their diet as these can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and weight gain. The healthier a person’s diet is, the happier he or she can become.

Related: The Hypertension Diets for Seniors

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  • Accompany and Drive Them Around

When elderly adults are unable to perform their daily day-to-day tasks like cooking, driving, washing, etc., they start to lose their confidence and the lack of self-efficacy increases their anger and stress level. They even start facing difficulties in thinking and remembering things. The only way to comfort them is to provide them with a helping hand. You can drive them around for their doctor appointments, fitness classes, grocery shopping, and so on. You can also assist them with cooking and cleaning. This way, elderly people can remain happier and physically more relaxed knowing they have someone to talk to and assist them.

  • Show Them Your Affection

The only way to keep an elderly person’s depression under control is to show them they are loved. Plus, caring for them and showing that you will always be by their side no matter what happens can also make them happy. To express your love and care, you can give them gifts, hug them often, and give them your full attention by listening to them. Besides this, you can plan trips over the weekend and for holidays.

  • Seek Professional Help

If you aren’t able to handle their behavioral changes and think their depression symptoms are getting worse, it is best to seek professional help and look towards counseling. There are several care centers now available that can help relieve the burden from your shoulders. 

Conclusion

We hope that the above-mentioned ways will help you out in taking better care of an elderly person dealing with depression. Home Instead Senior Care provides affordable 24-hour home care, meal planning, and transportation services. To learn more, you can check out our website or speak to us at (910) 342-0455. We will be happy to assist you with everything you need.

Health Benefits of Swimming for Your Elderly Loved Ones

When you find yourself looking for some great summer activities for your elderly loved ones to participate in, consider swimming as your go-to activity. Whether you want to get them out of the house for a small period of time or simply want to give them a great way to stay active year round, swimming is one of the best ways to achieve both of these goals. Keep reading our blog to learn just a few of the positive health benefits that swimming can bring to your loved ones.

Elderly man swimming.

Elderly man swimming.

 

Good for Their Heart

If you have a loved one entering their golden years, swimming and other water activities are a great way to promote heart health. Swimming is one of the best exercises for lowering blood pressure and improving circulation because it’s a low impact activity that gently uses a majority of the body’s systems and muscles.

 

Good for Their Joints

For those struggling with joint pain, swimming is one of the greatest ways to exercise without putting extra strain on their joints. Swimming is a low impact, full-body workout that allows everyone to experience a fun method of staying in shape. Due to the non-weight bearing nature of this activity, even those that struggle with hip, spine, or knee pain can find enjoyment.

 

Improves Their Flexibility

Did you know that swimming is a great way to improve flexibility? The gentle and effective resistance that water provides improves strength and flexibility. Because of the simple movements involved, they will be able to notice an improvement in the range of motion in parts of the body including hips, legs, arms, and neck.

Swim class.

Swim class.

Helps Their Mental Health

This is more of a double benefit for your elderly loved ones. Because swimming is generally a relaxing activity, it’s great for reducing stress and improving mental health. Another aspect of swimming is that it’s a social activity, which means that your senior is able to interact with other people around them and start new friendships. Through their interactions, many of their feelings of loneliness are also greatly reduced.

 

Conclusion

No matter the activity, you always want to be sure that it can have a positive impact on your loved one’s physical and mental well-being. Swimming is one such activity that checks both of these boxes in a way that’ll allow your loved one the freedom and ability to safely enjoy themselves. Let our team at Home Instead Senior Care help the elders in your life find an activity that’s right for them.

The Benefits of Journaling for Seniors

Growing old to the point that you now need a caregiver to assist you with your everyday activities can be frustrating and uncomfortable. Some days you appreciate the helping hand with household chores like washing dishes or medical assistance like medication reminders. Sometimes, we just want our alone time. Being completely alone may not be the best thing for those that have medical restrictions such as dementia or diabetes. You do not want to put yourself at risk and have no one to take the proper precautions. So how does one get to practice self-care while still receiving assistance?

Alone time is needed for our hobbies without the feeling of being watched like singing, crochet, and our most recommended: journaling. Journaling has many benefits that can provide you with the feeling of alone time, while still being supervised for emergency situations.

Tracking Memories

Losing track of your memory is hard to cope with when you constantly hear people asking confusing questions about a previous event. It could even make your anecdotal storytelling a difficult task. No one wants to lose track of who they are.

You should try tracking any little or big moment that happens to you throughout your day. It could be a helpful resource for times when you feel like you cannot remember anything and feel trapped in the moment of the day. It can also be your little piece of joy when you do remember a significant point in your life that happened to you as a child. Jotting it down is the safest way to knowing that you will have it stored forever. You can always go back and read what you have written and start to visualize the memory.

Companionship

It is such a great feeling when you have a great relationship with your caregiver, but there are some things that as humans, we prefer to keep unknown. Keeping your thoughts to yourself is not always a healthy thing because you can start to feel alone. Trust in your journal to keep every secret, thought, embarrassing moment, or joke that you feel is too risky to share.

Exploring those thoughts can really create a companionship with another part of you that you have not visited in a long time. You can try writing in the second-person point-of-view and really feel like someone is there sharing the same laughter and feeling the same nostalgia.

Learning Opportunities

You never know that writing can be your strongest talent if you don’t try! Practicing writing every day can help you discover a lot about yourself and learn new ways to express your thoughts and ideas that you never knew were possible.

Challenge yourself to do more with your journal other than writing about your feelings. Try creating characters and giving them a story. You could potentially create a short story or even a novel. It does not have to be a promising career, and it doesn’t even have to be read by anyone else. Fiction writing is a great way to entertain yourself in an artistic approach that does not require physical exercise or helping hand of others.

Conclusion

Journaling has many benefits that could promote a better quality of life with mental exercise and mental health alleviating. Not everyone has the ability to be open about their personal life, but everyone deserves the right to be heard. By practicing memory tracking, sharing your memories with yourself in private, or even creating stories, you can make your day enjoyable and fulfilling.