Nursing home facilities have been promoted as one of the best solutions for the elderly to spend their golden years in – great social environment, round-the-clock care by professionally certified nurses and in-house cooks or caterers to provide nutritional and healthy meals.
Sounds great, right? However, research has shown that on average, half of the number of elderly in nursing homes display symptoms of depression or have been diagnosed as suffering from this illness.
It is proven that the elderly are at risk of developing depression in nursing homes especially when staff nurses are not trained adequately on mental health intervention.
This may lead to severe health risks that can affect the quality of an elderly person’s life.
There are a few risk factors that result in depression in nursing homes.
For starters, the elderly there could be struggling with an array of issues that stem from prolonged grief from experiencing the loss of a loved one, isolation and declining health and mental capabilities.
Losing a loved one can trigger depression especially in an elderly person who has loads of free time on her hands post-retirement.
They also may not be able to adjust to the new environment in the nursing home, causing them to miss their own homes and their old routines.
A long-term stay in a nursing home may also cause the elderly to feel isolated from her family members and relatives. They have less time to see their children, grandchildren or maybe their pets unlike when they were still living with their family members.
These situations can lead to a surge of intense loneliness, which can be deduced as one of the leading factors of depression in the elderly.
Health tends to worsen as people grow older. Declining health causes body aches and muscle pains that limit the mobility of an elderly person and their capability of completing daily tasks on their own.
Studies show that seniors who suffer from chronic pain are prone to experience depression compared to those who are not suffering from chronic illness.
Cognitive impairment in the elderly can also impact their mood, which leads to irritation, agitation and depression. Moreover, the declining ability of a person’s senses such as hearing also has been observed to contribute to an increased risk of depression.
Theoretically, there is a possibility that the elderly may withdraw from joining an activity or event if they are unable to follow the conversations.
To prevent depression from becoming severe among the elderly in a nursing home, the staff must be able to recognise the symptoms of the illness and have an intervention plan in place.
It is imperative to have balanced and standardised care to ensure that residents are both physically and mentally attended to in order to provide for high quality and professional care.
Family members are also encouraged to play their part by visiting their elderly loved ones at the facility, spending a day out with them or celebrating special events together so they feel loved and appreciated.
Although it’s a common assumption that depression is a normal part of ageing, it can be prevented with early intervention from professional carers who try to alleviate the symptoms and assist the elderly on how to lead a healthier life.
This article was written by Fariza Kasani, a Care Manager with Care Express, and reviewed by Andrew Mastrandonas, Co-founder and CEO of Care Express, a company that provides a range of elderly at-home caregiving services, sending trained and certified professional caregivers and nurses to clients’ homes. For more information go to Care Express.