Many elderly individuals suffer from some traumatic life events from losing a beloved spouse of decades, having to give up most of their independence, or developing a life-threatening or chronic disease that now affects their everyday life. All of these situations can cause your loved one to develop a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety.
Some of the symptoms of mental health disorders are the same for all ages, but some are unique to seniors and look quite different than those of a younger person. If you’re not living with or near your aging loved one, you may not even notice them right away. It might be a trusted senior home care provider who first calls attention to them.
Here are some common symptoms of mental disorders in older adults. Your loved one may struggle with one or many of them if he is battling a disorder.
Sleeping issues
It can be sleeping too much or not being able to sleep at all, but sleeping patterns are often affected in those with mental disorders. Your loved one may chalk it up to getting old, but if his sleeping patterns are affecting his daily life and finding joy in it, it might be caused by a mental disorder.
Eating issues
Eating is much the same as sleeping when it comes to how it’s affected by depression or anxiety. Your senior home care provider might note that your loved one just pushes the food around his plate and doesn’t eat hardly anything at all during meals. Or it could be the opposite and your loved one is trying to find comfort in food and overeating.
Mood issues
Many people think of constant crying or sadness when depressed but some elderly people become angry when depressed. Others might stop showing any type of emotion at all and seem completely emotionless. If your senior home care provider mentions that previous outings or visits that used to bring your loved one joy seem to fall flat now, it could be the depression or anxiety that has caused your loved one to be unable to find the joy that was once so easily attainable.
Physical issues
Mental health disorders often have physical health issues that come along for the ride. Instead of telling you or his senior home care provider that he’s sad, your loved one might complain of constant stomach problems or headaches that don’t leave. He might feel achy and tired all of the time. While all of these might have a physical reason, all of them can also occur with mental health disorders.
If you see any of these symptoms in your loved one, getting help as soon as possible will help him heal and get onto the road of recovery where his mental health is in a better spot and he can enjoy life again.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering senior home care in Webb City, MO please contact the caring staff at Adelmo Family Care today at (417) 206-4576.
To provide the safest and most qualified caregivers, John felt it was important to properly screen and train caregivers before they were invited into the homes of the families being care for.No caregiver is introduced to a client before being taught the Adelmo Standard.
Adelmo is German for Noble Protector, a name that projects what Adelmo Family Care strives to be. It is our goal to protect our elderly from having to move somewhere they do not want to go, while remaining safe, secure and independent.
Care is our Product and Independence is our Goal.We are there for you when you need to have some help to continue to live independently, at your direction, in your home. We will work with you to get you as fit as possible so you may become completely independent once again, if at all possible.
We provide compassionate care, a watchful eye and a helping hand to our clients and their families.
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Adelmo Family Care is a member of the Home Care Association of America, The Senior’s Choice, The Webb City Chamber of Commerce, The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and several local senior committees.
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