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SageMinder News
Depression
August 2013                           

depressed lonely senior    


Greetings!
 

 

While not a fun topic, depression is something we still need to know about.  How do you tell the difference between normal grieving/sadness and a clinical depression?  Sometimes depression can even be mistaken for dementia in older adults. 

 

Closely related to depression are suicide and loneliness - both preventible.  At-risk elderly people can benefit when the people caring for them know what to look for.

 

Sadly, many seniors and elderly people do not seek out help for depression on their own - either because they come from an era where these things were considered "private" or even shameful - or because they are not even sure what is wrong with them.  They may have aches and pains, feel tired and wonder if their insomnia is just a normal part of aging. 

But, clinical depression is not a normal part of aging and can have serious impacts when left untreated.  Fortunately, a combination of talk therapy and medications has been shown to treat depression well.  Going to a family physician is often the most practical and comfortable first step for an older person.

One protective factor?  Human connection - and lots of it.  If younger people are communicating electronically, that can leave some seniors out.  Learning new skills like "Skyping" can re-connect some seniors to far away grandchildren and others who may not be connecting easily now to a senior you love... something worth considering.

 

sad depressed elderly woman
We all get sad at times. Some people believe that depression in older people is "normal." But, the kind of sadness that is "normal" just may happen more in later life. Friends pass away, spouses get ill and may die, and older people experience more health issues and a decline in vitality and physical abilities.

loneliness in elderly
 
Loneliness in the elderly population is a growing health concern among families and physicians. According to the 2010 US Census Bureau, more people were 65 years of age and older in 2010 than in any other previous census. There were 40.3 million people who were 65 and older, which is an increase of 5.3 million since the 2000 census. The result is more lonely senior citizens.

 Suicide in the Elderly
sad older man
According to the American Association of Suicidology, suicide among elderly people is very high with white males over 85 being the highest risk among any other group. The elderly are 13% of the population yet account for 15.6% of all suicides. The rate of suicide for those over 65 is almost 15 of every 100,000 suicides.

 
In This Issue:
Depression in the Elderly
Elderly Loneliness
Suicide in the Elderly
Free Online Tools For Caregivers
Skyper Club!
family caregiver

Caregiver Tools

A Calendar with Free Text Reminders for Everyone in Your Family

A Private Social Care Network for Only Family and Close Friends

Try it Today - 
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SageCorner Blog:

 

Lori Paterno, M.Ed., Sage Life Technologies, LLC

 

More and more elderly people are getting turned on to "Skype." This is a great way for seniors and elderly people who may have mobility issues to connect with family that may live in another town or state. As families get busier, it also helps them to find ways to connect with a senior who lives far away.


It is not always easy to get someone started on this type of thing. Setting up the skype account can seem overwhelming for someone who has almost no experience with computers. A town in Washington State has teens who come into a nursing home and volunteer to help the residents there get onto skype so that they can learn this technology and find ways to connect.  They call this program the "Skyper's Club!"

 

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