#Elderly Mental Health

[weempowerhomecarellc]

As we age, maintaining social connections becomes increasingly vital for our overall well-being. For the elderly, regular social interaction can significantly impact their mental, emotional, and physical health. Home care services in Indianapolis, IN, offer essential support in ensuring that seniors remain socially engaged, which in turn enhances their quality of life and longevity.

[vimdrugs]

A unique set of difficulties arises with winter, particularly for the elderly, who require additional attention to maintain their health amid the lower temperatures. This thorough blog delves into crucial advice for seniors winter wellness, including a carefully curated list of suggestions from pharmacies to keep them happy, healthy, and active all winter long.

Read More: https://vimdrugs.com/index.php/blog/post/winter-wellness-for-seniors-pharmacy-recommendations

[eleosservicesllc]

Loneliness is a battle faced by many, especially the elderly. Isolation comes hand-in-hand with loneliness and it can have severe consequences, impacting the vulnerabilities that come with old age such as their physical and cognitive health. More than these, it can have a negative effect on their mental well-being as well. This is where companionship comes in to fill the void left by loneliness and isolation.

[lukesmithers]

In these poignant photographs capturing the final years of my grandparents in Fort Worth, Texas, a subtle but profound narrative of their emotional fragility unfolds. The visible physical and emotional challenges documented in my photographs of my grandparents echo the broader reality faced by many older adults. Late-life depression, a topic intricately woven into the fabric of their experiences, becomes a lens through which we can explore the complexities of aging.

As the demographic landscape undergoes a transition, with more elders and fewer children, the prevalence of conditions like depression in older adults gains significance. The photos of my grandparents, embodying the isolation and emotional despair often associated with aging, resonate with the broader understanding that depression affects about one in ten people over the age of 65 (O'Donoghue & Ryan, 2011). Major depression, impacting 1-2% of older adults, takes a toll on their overall well-being, contributing to disability and even premature death, as recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) (Zivin, 2013).

Delving deeper into their story, the photos become more than mere snapshots; they become windows into the psychosocial and organic pathways influencing late-life depression. The loss of independence, the challenges of coping with medical conditions, and the impact of significant life events are threads intricately woven into the narrative. Just as the statistics underscore the global burden of late-life depression, my grandparents' story serves as a personal testament to the emotional complexities faced by older individuals.

These glimpses into my grandparents' late-life journey underscore the urgency of addressing mental health challenges in the elderly. Their story, like those of many others, prompts a reflection on the need for comprehensive strategies that encompass prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Through their experiences, we see a call to action, advocating for tailored interventions and fostering a deeper understanding of the multifaceted nature of late-life depression.

O'Donoghue, M. (2011). Depression and Ageing: Assessment and intervention (P. Ryan, Ed.). In P. Ryan & B. J. Coughlan (Eds.), Ageing and older adult mental health: Issues and implications for practice (pp. 127–142). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. 

Zivin, Kara et al. “The economic, public health, and caregiver burden of late-life depression.” The Psychiatric clinics of North America vol. 36,4 (2013): 631-49. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2013.08.008

[veradune]

Photos from a mountain I'm attempting on Saturday. Maybe it's the anxiety brain or maybe I'm legit concerned about dying :|

[ultimaid]

as someone who works in the mental health field. the way some of you talk about mentally ill elderly people is absolutely atrocious and i’m going to need you to start seeing the elderly as human. that will be you one day and you’re going to wish younger folks had more compassion.

[disease]

aaand the Oscar goes to...

🎞️ RIGHTS OF AGE [1966]

[seven7een7h]

One of my toxic traits—and I am aware that I have a good number— is that if I go into my room and close the door, I believe that it should be illegal to bother me for anything that isn’t food or an emergency, and if I’m in my room with the door closed and the lights off, the house better be on fucking fire, but no one else seems to believe this.

Like please, sound is making me angry, I have the overwhelming urge to cry and my own skin feels wrong, no I’m not helping you order yourself a pizza, I’m about to kill someone.

And this is of course ALWAYS the exact time when my grandmother—who to the inconvenience of everyone, refuses to wear her hearing aid or acknowledge that her actions are loud (when she closes a door in the house, everything on the walls shakes)—decides to empty and reload the dishwasher and what I can only assume is to rearrange the cabinet with all the metal pots and pans.

Today, my mother and I have spent the 4th day in a row doing hurricane cleanup, and I spent 2 hours on the roof in open Florida sun, cleaning out the gutters and checking for damage, while she sat outside reading her book and scrolling on her phone (which, whatever, she can’t really help with anything useful anyway), but the second my mum and I go to turn in for an early night, she needs me to perform tasks for her (that I know she can do on her own) and making loads of noise.

Needless to say, I am upset. It is difficult to be kind to people and to understand that they have limitations, when those people, as she is very much known to do, throw your own limitations back in your face because your age isn’t justifiably high. I am finding it increasingly hard to want to be anywhere near her, I don’t even like being in the same building sometimes.

[astirysk2electricboogaloo]

television channels, cable providers, etc. most commonly watched by the elderly shouldn't be allowed to show funeral home and end of life planning ads. their mental health already might not be great, especially if it's someone who's a shut in and disabled. i know someone in that situation and they pretend it isn't bothering them but i know it is.

it's fuckin with mine too. i have the memories of trying to distract and covertly mute the tv when these damn things came on for someone else i love dearly who unfortunately passed last year and that shit was fuckin damn unbearable. tv time with them should have been happy for both of us all the time. not just kost of the time occasionally interrupted by "ok you're in your 70s-90s and you're going to die. we offer services and we pretend we care so much about your family and your dollar is important (to us mostly) you should spend it wisely and don't let your family be caught off guard by final exp-" SHUT THE FUCK UP. seriously go fuck yourself. please go the fuck away you're a piece of shit. that's what i want to say to every fucking company that puts this shit out. fuck you! things are bad enough in a lot of situations. no one needs entertainment, one of, if not heir only escape from the bullshit to occasionally attack their mental health.

the fact that anything (tv, radio, whatever the fuck it is) with a primarily elderly audience allows funeral and end of life planning ads in the first place is fucking disgraceful and i wish people were pissed about it more.

[vimdrugs]

Winter Wellness for Seniors: Pharmacy Recommendations!

A unique set of difficulties arises with winter, particularly for the elderly, who require additional attention to maintain their health amid the lower temperatures. This thorough blog delves into crucial advice for seniors winter wellness, including a carefully curated list of suggestions from pharmacies to keep them happy, healthy, and active all winter long.

Winter Wellness Tips for Seniors: Top 10!

Following are some top tips that you can consider: -

1. Senior Health Care: Make Routine Examinations a Priority

Seniors should have regular health examinations, particularly in the winter. It is recommended that elderly patients make routine appointments with their healthcare professionals in order to monitor their general health and swiftly address any emergent concerns.

2. Senior Cold Prevention: Keep Warm and Bundle Up

Seniors may find cold weather to be particularly difficult, increasing their susceptibility to sickness. Seniors should be encouraged to wear layers of clothing, such as hats and gloves, to stay warm and avoid health problems caused by the cold.

3. Geriatric Pharmacy: Customized Drug Administration

Speak with a geriatric pharmacist to be sure your prescriptions are appropriate for the winter. They can offer helpful guidance on possible interactions, dose modifications, and other precautions that are required in light of the chilly weather.

4. Tips for Winter Health: Eat a Balanced Diet

A healthy diet is essential for wintertime wellbeing. Promote a diet high in vitamins and minerals that is well-balanced. Examine diet regimens designed specifically for the winter that support general health and immunity while meeting the special demands of the elderly.

5. Boosting Immunity Naturally: Immune Support for Seniors

Investigate foods and supplements that strengthen the immune system to help seniors natural defenses against winter illnesses. Seek advice from medical specialists to find appropriate solutions catered to your need.

6. Senior Flu Prevention: Be Educated and Vaccinated

Seniors should be aware of flu epidemics and, if necessary, get vaccinated on time. Frequently offering flu injections, pharmacies support sensible preventative measures during the flu season.

7. Senior Pharmacy Advice: Seek Expert Counsel

An important part of elder health is played by pharmacists. See a reliable pharmacist on a regular basis for tailored guidance on prescriptions, possible side effects, and ways to minimize any negative reactions in the winter.

Continue Reading: https://vimdrugs.com/index.php/blog/post/winter-wellness-for-seniors-pharmacy-recommendations

[veilfires]

I mean this as gently as humanly possible, but some of you really need to start interacting with people you don’t like in person. I cannot stress enough that you will be EXPECTED to be able to work alongside or with people you don’t like throughout your life and, in real life, you can’t just clap back with a spicy comment and keep your job.

I am by no means saying you have to tolerate racists, ableists, homophobes, or sexists. But you will have to learn to work with people who you disagree with, whose personalities drive you up the wall, and who you just simply don’t like.

Being unable to do so is a “you” problem that you need to work on- because it doesn’t just apply professionally. It applies when fighting for human rights too. And if you can’t have empathy for the 80 year old who calls your call center because she can’t figure out the online portal, then you’re not really practicing the ~uwu im a small baby that needs empathy~ vibes that you preach, now are you? Treat otters the way you want to be treated, etc etc.

[pandemic-info]

This tweet is a reminder that many high risk people are still sheltering in place. So while you pretend that the pandemic is over for your mental health, think of those who haven’t left the house in three years. Yep, we’re still here and our mental health is just as important.

[viobliterator]

so i suppose this is the start of a new blogging series. check tags for triggers/squicks or whatever they're called

to keep things brief, ever since my mom finished her chemo/radiation years ago, she's been in a cognitive decline. i initially thought it was just chemo brain plus her being older, but my family and i noticed change in her. it feels like she's turning into me, and i'm turning into her, if that makes sense. i'm wondering who the mom is and who the daughter is.

she and my dad have been to the memory clinic a few times. i've chatted with my dad about what i notice in my mom, since i spend more time with her during the week. my dad and i recently had a conversation about the memory clinic's assessment, and it's apparent that she's definitely under the dementia umbrella but we still have yet to find out exactly what kind, since it's all kinds of different diseases with different progressions and prognoses

now to get to the emotion-side of this, because that's the purpose of this blog series. i try to be patient with my mom, i really do. but i'm so dang frustrated about the wholel thing. i know the boss ass bitch that is my mom is still in there but there's her shitty brain in the way and i just want to shake it out of her and tell her to snap out of it.

for example, she's always misplacing things and i end up having to help her find them. if i dare suggest her putting things in the same place or giving her advice that works for me, since i'm ADHD and autistic and understand the whole executive dysfunction thing, then i get hit with a response that sounds like it came straight out of a teenager's mouth. i dare to suggest she get a dang hobby, something mentally stimulating, same thing. she's frustrated with herself, i get it. she's also frustrated that she's losing independence. i sympathize.

but where's the part of her that's disciplined?

where is my mom?

i'm also mad that i have to deal with this before my 30th birthday. most people who deal with this kind of thing don't have to even think about it till their 40s or even 50s. but here i am. my sister is only in her early 40s. i still have no idea what i'm doing 90% of the time but here i am having to think about what we're going to do with my mom. i bet things will only progress from here too, and i don't like thinking about it. it feels fake but i also thought i'd had way more time than this.

part of me wishes she hadn't had me as late as she did, so i'd at least have a bit more wisdom under my belt by the time this happened.

i try to stay patient with her and not express my frustrations directly to her. i don't want her to feel like she's a burden, even though she kinda is. even thinking things like that makes me feel like a bad person, and a bad daughter. i want to tell her to figure things out. i want to tell her to pay attention. i want to tell her to snap out of this funk. i want to leave the house just to get away from the bullshit. i want to look up assisted living just so i don't have to deal with this.

idk if that makes me a bad daughter. my dad tells me he doesn't want me to feel obligated to take care of her as this goes on, but i'm her daughter. my sister took care of her when she had cancer, so it's only fair that i take care of her during this period??

and what kind of daughter doesn't take care of her aging mother

but yeah i hate this crap. i just want my mom back. even the annoying parts.

[jasanis-world]

All I want to do is cry!!!

Why are people so selfish.

Why do they only think of themselves.

[odi-et-amo85]

Today was my first day volunteering

edit: Please cheer me on as I struggle to cook dinner for myself! 🥹

I started doing volunteer work assisting with dinner at the local elderly home. For those who don’t know by backstory: I’ve been burnout for three years and recently (after a lot therapy, recuperating and practicing my day to day lifeskills) started with reintegration back to work (with which the municipality office for work and income helps me). Because of the autism, anxiety disorder and all the difficulties that come with that, I’ve been ambulatory counselled for the last six years. Initially for my university degree, the counselling went relatively great, until I got my BA English Lit and started a master’s programme. Fuelled by extreme performance anxiety (which spread into overall anxiety) and a too high dose of ritalin, I managed to hold on to the program for 1.5 years. Until I couldn’t anymore, in December 2019. Flash forward to now, after two years of COVID and a bonus year of existential dread, here I am, sort of back on my feet.

But back to the elderly. 👵🏻👴🏻 I’m mentally drained and very hungry, but otherwise doing great. 🥲 And apart from one lady asking if “I was a man or a woman” (short hair problems 😂) and later commenting I had “such lovely small eyes,” a minor language barrier with one lady who only spoke Czech, and a gentleman who couldn’t stop yelling, everything went smoothly. 😌

Now, I’m back home, really tired, but equally proud of myself. I don’t know to express this well. But this (actually going to an appointment with expectations, being there on time, and not getting a panic attack midway) is a gigantic step for me. A monumental event if you will. The first step on a long road of recovery. ❤️‍🩹