Geriatric Depression

Understanding Geriatric Depression

Depression at any age can greatly compromise an individual’s quality of life. Those suffering from depression are rarely the only ones affected, as friends and loved ones are often hurt by bearing witness to the negative transformation of one they deeply value. While depression is a risk at any stage of life, seniors are especially susceptible.

This is due to a variety of factors, including a reduced amount of physical capabilities, a loss of a spouse or close friendships due to old age, or feelings of abandonment and fear that may result from a move to a convalescent home. Requiring assisted living or losing the ability to partake in activities once so cherished can cause a senior to lapse into a moderate to severe geriatric depression that is concerning for family members and exhausting for the patient afflicted.

It is important when diagnosing geriatric depression that those around the depressed person are able to distinguish what depression truly is, while ensuring it does not become a misdiagnosis of dementia. The first step toward understanding depression is realizing it is more than just a common case of the blues. All of us feel down about our lives occasionally; however depression affects the whole body and mental outlook on the world, often lasting for weeks or months at a time.

Geriatric depression at its most severe can lead to suicide attempts and endangered health. For this reason, talk of depression should never be ignored. Even if the elderly person has recently experienced a loss or life change that would expectedly spur a grieving period, they should be closely watched for signs of something much more severe.

The Symptoms

While depression is a well-known illness, many people feel ill-equipped to discern between common sadness and a condition requiring medical attention. Below are some symptoms of depression that should be taken into consideration:

• Withdrawal from family and friends
• A loss of interest in favorite activities
• Abnormal progression of recovery from a personal loss several months prior
• Lack of concentration
• Memory loss
• Indecisiveness
• Irritability
• Suicidal thoughts or threats
• Gain or loss of weight
• Headaches, backaches, or other pains that cannot be attributed to old age or known health issues
• Insomnia or chronic fatigue

Discerning from Dementia

Many depressed seniors are misdiagnosed with dementia, or on the contrary, dementia is overlooked and the patient is prescribed medication for depression. While the symptoms are similar, geriatric depression and dementia are two very separate illnesses with different methods of treatment. This is why it’s vital either you or a healthcare professional you trust can tell the difference between the two conditions.

With depression, the geriatric has a much firmer grasp upon what they are thinking or feeling, as opposed to dementia where symptoms are seemingly out of the awareness realm of the individual. In depression, cognitive skills such as speaking, reading and writing are rarely effected, while in dementia these skills often disintegrate and become challenging to the patient.

Lastly, many people suffering from dementia attempt to mask the severity of their symptoms, while those with depression tend to express their intensity.

Treatment

Geriatric depression can be treated in a few ways. One of the most traditional forms of treatment involves a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy. Often, family members are asked to participate in therapy sessions, used as both an encourager to the depressed elderly and also so the person’s support team can fully grasp what is going on. The more support a depressed person (at any age) receives, the better chance there is for recovery.

Another alternative form of treatment for the depressed senior is the discovery of a new activity or participation in a specialized program such as art therapy. Such a new outlet for emotion can ease the symptoms of geriatric depression and give the senior a new lease on life.

Depression is a serious illness that should be treated as any other physical illness. However the good news is found in the wide variety of pharmaceutical and intellectual resources available to overcome such an obstacle in later life.