Social situations help you to grow, allow you to be more relaxed, and help to build happiness in your soul. As seniors age, they find comfort in relaxing by themselves, tucked away in their homes or senior living facilities, being anti-social, and not wanting to do activities they once loved to do. This is not always a sign of depression, although it could lead to a serious condition such as early-onset of Alzheimer’s Disease or Obesity.
Seniors who suffer from heart disease are advised to watch for symptoms of depression. Sadly, those patients who are subsequently diagnosed with depression are at greater risk for heart failure, according to a study by cardiac researchers at Utah’s Intermountain Medical Center.
Researchers also found that taking antidepressant medications to ease depressive symptoms did not appear to mitigate this risk, according to an Intermountain release.
When the ravages of aging begin to debilitate a person’s physical being, the situation is even more compounded and cruel when there are mental issues involved. This isn’t a Baby Boomer issue — it’s a human issue.
There has been a great deal written about Alzheimer’s Disease as well as Dementia, that affects the brain and overall personality for many of the elderly. However, what happens when a person has battled depression or other psychological disorders all their life, and they’re faced with their body (and life) starting to ‘shut down’? How does a person who is helping with the caregiving, especially children and relatives, deal with a sad situation that is now more magnified?