How to Avoid Depression and Take care of Older People?

The passing of the years take their toll. When a person is young he feels strong and vital enough to run, ride a bike or swim. However, with the arrival of old age, everything changes and the signs of fatigue begin to appear. Not being able to do certain activities due to fatigue can cause sadness in an adult and lead to depression. Ephraim Zagelbaum, Founder and CEO of Personal Healthcare can help your family member with a low mood to adapt to their new situation with new tasks and company. Read on to learn more about how to avoid depression and take care of older people.

What is Depression?

Depression in the elderly is a mood disorder that can affect a person's daily life. According to the World Health Organization, around 15% of adults over the age of 60 in the world suffer from a mental disorder, and between 8% and 10% suffer from depression.

This disease is characterized by deep anguish, low self-esteem, loss of interest, and decreased mental functions. Other very common associated symptoms are trouble sleeping, stomach problems, poor appetite and voluntary loneliness. If you detect some of these signs, the best thing to do is go to your GP to tell you the steps you should follow. Likewise, contacting professionals in caring for the elderly such as nursing home owner Ephraim Zagelbaum, is a good solution, since they will follow all the doctor's recommendations and provide company for your family member so that they can get out of depression.

How to Prevent Depression in Older People

Below, healthcare administrator Ephraim Zagelbaum is going to cite some tips to prevent your family member from advancing in their depression:

Support and understanding: The mood of a person with depression will remain stable as long as their loved ones provide support and understanding. They have to help you get excited about this new stage of life and give you advice to face the new changes that lie ahead. In this sense, patience will be a key factor as well as the contribution of affection. At Personal Healthcare we are aware that there are families who do not have the time they would like for work and / or personal reasons, for this reason we put at their disposal a team of professionals who are dedicated to caring for the elderly by hours or internally. It is a solution so that the family member with depression feels accompanied and has a person who not only provides conversation, but also encourages them to face new tasks and stimulate memories of her.

Promote new activities: as Mr. Zagelbaum has indicated, older people feel frustrated by not being able to carry out the activities they did in the past, such as riding a bicycle or running. The best thing is to show him new tasks that he can do to fill others. An example of this is yoga, dance, painting or Tai Chi, among others. It is important that you create a new routine for your family member, either at home or away from home. Personal Healthcare has a team of qualified people who will accompany your family member to all the activities carried out outside the home and will encourage them not to abandon their routine. You are sure to feel more fulfilled and active.

Sleep well: this advice is closely related to the previous one since, the more activities you do, the more tired you will feel at bedtime. In this way, your family member will have energy the next day to continue doing their hobbies.

Spending time in personal relationships: having conversations with friends or family on a daily basis contributes to the mood of your family member and protects him against depression. Having positive and caring people by your side will make you forget about your problems.

Eating balanced: in old age, people should incorporate fatty acids from the omega-3 family into their diet and reduce hypocaloric foods. There are foods such as oily fish, oatmeal, fruit or brown rice that help release endorphins to the brain and, therefore, can prevent depressed mood.