Signs of Depression in Your Senior Parent – Assisted Living Communities Can Help

By: Adult Care Advisors | No Comments September 3, 2013

As much as you may want to be with your senior parents all the time, you have other roles and responsibilities to fulfill. This means that your parents are alone at home for the better part of the day – if they aren’t already living on their own. When they have little to do and minimal companionship, depression can creep up on them, unnoticed. Here are some tips on how to identify and handle depression in your senior parent.

Restless sleep: Is your senior parent having trouble falling asleep, waking up unusually early every morning, or sleeping too much every day? Over-thinking minor issues, feeling guilty or helpless could be the cause of this poor sleep pattern.
Social withdrawal: Look out for mood swings and watch for a senior parent withdrawing into a shell. Is your die-hard basketball fan father not going to games anymore? Has your mother’s smile been missing even when the grandchildren drop in?
Loss of interest: Dirty clothes, unhealthy diet, loss of appetite and a poorly maintained house are symptoms of depression. If your mother once enjoyed wearing makeup and did her hair regularly, think about why she isn’t anymore.
Pain: Depression is said to amplify pain. Often, a depressed senior feels increased levels of pain even after undergoing treatment.

Seniors long for company. An assisted living community can be the ideal solution to resolve depression in your senior parent.

Seniors have the opportunity to bond with other residents at assisted living communities. The weekend cookouts, group yoga sessions and daily walks in the garden are a wonderful way to beat the loneliness.
Assisted living communities provide your senior loved one with the freedom to live independently, without the hassle of actually running a home. Typical services offered include cooking, laundry, housekeeping, etc.
Because they are not dependent on you for their day to day needs any more, your senior parents will stop feeling helpless and defeated. Assisted living communities will boost their confidence and bring back the zest for life.

Contact our team of adult care consultants today for advice on how to handle depression in seniors with assisted living in New Jersey.