During the winter, just about everyone who isn’t an avid skier, snowboarder, or outdoorsperson is going to feel the winter blues. These are feelings of being bored, as though there’s nothing to do, and that you just can’t wait for this long, cold, dreaded winter to come to a close. When you have an elderly loved one who is receiving any form of home care services, it’s important to be able to distinguish between winter blues and depression.
Depression in elderly individuals can come from a variety of factors, including the fact that they have retired, health concerns, and the loss of friends and loved ones. When a person works hard for forty, fifty, or even more years of his or her life, retirement can leave them feeling as though they have nothing to do. It can be difficult to fill their days.
When you begin to attend more funerals or hear about another classmate or friend or loved one passing away, this can affect you as well. Coupled with your own health problems as your body continues to age and you begin to feel the full effects of your years, this can lead to depression.
If you have hired an in home care service provider for your loved one, or you’re the person who is looking after him or her, be aware of the difference between winter doldrums and depression. Prolonged depression can lead to a variety of other health related issues and that’s why it’s important to keep an eye out for it.
Winter blues basically involves a longing for warmer weather, wishing that you get out and go for a walk without having to bundle up or worry about health risks, such as pneumonia. A person could seem as though they don’t want to take part in certain activities, but when engaged, they will generally get involved.
A person coping with depression will tend to suffer from certain health related effects, such as prolonged sadness and fatigue. If the elderly individual is tired more often, this could be a sign of depression. However, on its own it could be a side effect of medication or health problems.
Other signs of depression will tend to include withdrawing from social activities, not wanting to have family or friends visit, losing weight, and having trouble sleeping.
If your loved one receives any form of home care services and you believe that they may be suffering from depression, it’s best to have them visit a doctor as depression can lead to more serious health crises.
If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of home care services in Memorial, TX contact the caregivers at At Your Side Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (832) 271-1600 for more information.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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