Depression in seniors: Signs, how to get help and ways to stay healthy
HOUSTON - Depression is a mental health problem that's become more common among teenagers and young adults. Some studies also suggest you're likely to experience it as you get older.
According to the CDC, 7 million American adults over the age of 65 experience depression each year.
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Experts say depression is commonly missed in the elderly because it can easily be mistaken for sadness.
"Unfortunately, every day we see more of our senior citizens or elderly being isolated," said Ruth Martinez with BrightStar Care.
Persistent feelings of sadness, illness, divorce, or money concerns can trigger depression. There's no one single cause.
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Some home health care providers in Houston say they've seen a rise in depression among the elderly they care for following the pandemic and that they've come to recognize the signs that indicate something is wrong.
"If they're eating less, if their sleep pattern has changed...reserved. If they're not willing to do activities with them," Martinez said.
In certain cases, they become more restless and agitated, feeling like life is no longer worth living.
According to the National Council on Aging, older adults make up 12% of the U.S. population, but account for 18% of all suicide deaths.
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Psychiatrists visiting nursing homes and assisted care facilities work to prevent that from happening by helping to make sure conditions don't get worse.
"So basically, you need to see the whole person, treat medical conditions as well as depression, with psychotropic medications, commonly what we use on antidepressants actually," said Clinical Medical Director, Dr. Tayfun Karakoc with Senior Psychcare.
He says psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is just as important.
"We use cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT, and then interpersonal psychotherapy. So those are the ones that we commonly use and appear to be working great with the elderly population," Karakoc said.
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It's a way to teach them healthy coping skills when faced with life challenges.
Simple things like spending a day at the park, visiting a farmers' market, arts and crafts or even social clubs can keep your aging loved ones mentally healthy and improve their overall quality of life.
For a list of fun summer activities for seniors to be a part of in the Houston area, click here.
For even more activities for seniors, click here.