Depression In The Aging Population

Depression is the most common mental health problem in the elderly and is associated with a significant burden of illness that affects patients, their families, and communities and takes an economic toll as well. For generations, discussion about depression has been taboo. Recently, however, the general population has started talking about depression. Prevalence studies suggest that 14% to 20% of the elderly living in the community experience depressive symptoms, with higher rates among the elderly in hospital (12% to 45%) and even higher rates in long-term care facilities (Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health, 2006).Because of our aging population, it is expected that the number of seniors suffering from depression will increase.

Caring for an older adult with dementia and other health problems can be challenging because a standard treatment for one problem sometimes makes other problems worse. As Canadians live longer, our approach to mental health must account for the number of seniors living with mental illness and dementia. It requires a shift from acute, hospital-based care to a more cost-effective community-based model, one that supports seniors and caregivers in the places they live. One in four seniors already lives with a mental health problem or mental illness, and as this population grows so too will the need for mental health services and some medicines can interact with other drugs in harmful ways. There are many methods to treat depression, including pharmacological and verbal therapy treatment. Art therapy, which includes painting, drawing, and clay sculpture, has been shown to be an effective method to reduce symptoms of depression

One time, I came early for my shift and found him in the lounge where he was physically aggressive with the other staff, he was yelling and does not want to be touched otherwise he pushed and literally punched anyone who attempted to get close to him. We gave him the space he needed but we were watching him from a distance. I played his classical music, which made him calm a little bit and then took him on his wheelchair outside to his favorite spot of the garden where there is a little pond under a small bridge. He became silent, his closed fist relaxed and his face turned from grimace to looking pleased. He was not a much of a conversant type but that time he asked me if concernedly if “I was feeling alright” and “what was I doing with him”. There was a smile on his face which was a rare thing to see him do. From then on visit to the garden became a part of our daily routine. The difference in his behavior was apparent once he was exposed to outdoor. After that incident I felt fulfilled because I used an effective strategy of calming him down instead of letting the nurse gave him medication to sedate him. We as caregivers have to think about strategies to avoid negative behaviors – agitation, confusion, and hallucination. We should react positively to