Home Health Care: The cold and bitter months are coming up, and if you or your loved one lives in a state that gets super cold and dreary, it is time to think about seasonal depression.
Often seniors with depression get overlooked, and people focus on younger adults and kids who are affected by seasonal depression. Home care assistance can help manage a senior’s daily routines and activities. By being a companion, they can greatly reduce the feelings of social isolation and some of the feelings of depression, but there are more things that can be done.
You may hear seasonal depression referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. It is when the feelings of depression are related to the season change. It typically happens around the same time every year, around fall to winter. These symptoms reoccur and can last a lifetime. Suppose you know your loved one has had a history of seasonal depression. In that case, it will be important to start keeping an eye on any drastic mood changes. This is also where home care assistance can come in really handy. They can help keep an eye on mood changes and anything abnormal about a senior’s behavior.
If a senior suffers from SAD, their symptoms may go away around spring and fall. Whenever it becomes sunnier out, when they get more outside time. There are some pretty serious symptoms to look for and a few good ways to try to minimize the feelings of depression. If home care assistance has helped make changes, but it is not enough, the senior may need a doctor’s help to get through the fall and winter months.
Home Health Care: Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Depression can have so many different symptoms, especially in seniors. It will be important for home care assistance to notice any subtle or dramatic changes in routine or loss of interest. These can be two big symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Keep in mind that seasonal depression can sometimes happen during the spring and summer rather than fall and winter. It will be important to note what season the changes begin because there can be a different set of symptoms. Here are some things to watch out for.
- -Feeling depressed every day.
- -Losing interest in activities.
- -Feeling low energy.
- -Having sleeping problems.
- -Appetite changes or eating problems.
- -Feeling sluggish most days.
- -Difficulty concentrating on tasks.
- -Feeling worthless or hopeless.
- -Having thoughts of suicide.
In some cases, a senior may need to seek mental health treatment, physical treatments, and other help outside of home care assistance. Therapy can help a senior mentally cope with the rapid changes while a doctor helps provide them with something that can boost their mood. It can be so important to note these changes and help a senior when these feelings come on.
You may not be able to see your loved one every day but visiting them during the winter months can help reduce these thoughts and feelings. Home care assistance can help a senior live better and stay mentally healthy.