Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Mental Health in the Elderly

This past week, the New York Times wrote a piece on mental health in the elderly titled “How Therapy Can Help in the Golden Years.” It’s a great piece because it serves as a reminder of how important mental health is in the elderly, and how it’s even more important to receive treatment for any mental health issues that develop. As the elderly age, they can experience things such as depression, anxiety and feelings of loneliness. There is a lot of change that happens, and it’s incredibly difficult to watch many of your friends and family pass away or become ill. However, that is why it’s so important for the elderly to receive treatment for any possible issues.

For caregivers, paying attention to the mental health of your aging loved one is very important. Here are some things that may signal a change in the mental health of your loved one:

- Sadness
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Difficulty with sleeping
- A general loss of interest

If you see these symptoms in your elderly loved one, it may be a good idea to consider talking about therapy with them. Therapy can be incredibly beneficial to the elderly and it can help them to adjust to the different changes that are going on in their life. You can find the New York Times article here. It’s a wonderful piece that details how several elderly individuals lives were markedly improved by psychiatric treatment.

 Lastly, the most important thing is to consult your physician immediately if you notice any changes in your elderly loved ones.

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