How Does Depression Affect Older People Differently

There are three different groups in late adulthood. The first one being young-old, this group is the largest group, most of people in this group are completely independent. The next group is old-old, this group may have some health issues such as memory loss and weight loss, but they are independent and actually take care of other people. The last group is oldest-old, this group is dependent on others to take care of them and some are in put in nursing homes.

Depression can cause forgetfulness, confusion and difficulty concentrating. Symptoms such as loss of interest in life, lack of enjoyment doing activities, feeling tired all the time, poor sleep, weight loss or gain, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, chronic unexplained pain and memory loss can be correctly attributed to poor health, dementia and old age. In serious depression, thoughts of suicide or death are common. Untreated depression can develop into a problem. There is evidence that depression takes a serious toll on a person’s physical health. Physical pain is one symptom of depression that is generally overlooked. A study that was published in the Psychosomatic Medical Journal found that two thirds of people with depression also were in some sort of physical pain.

In our society today, the older population is a diverse and growing group with more and more individuals reaching the life stage of late adulthood, and even very late adulthood. According to Hutchison (2015), the late adulthood stage begins at 65 years of age and continues through 85 years of age and the very late adulthood stage begins at 85 and carries through until death. During the aging process, many changes occur within the body and mind as well as family structure and social roles. Individuals who have reached these life stages today may have lived through the Great Depression, the World Wars, the Civil Rights Movement, and many other important historic events, all of which have shaped their life experiences. For

Older adults are at a stage in life where they have to come to terms with their “inevitable decline” (Gladding, pg. 301). Older adults may suffer from “loneliness, fear and loss” (Gladding, pg. 302). They have been facing “chronic health problems that require increased attention” (Gladding, pg. 302). Many older people have difficulty transitioning to a “retirement lifestyle and long for their professional roles” (302). Many elderly also experience “limited socialization and interpersonal activities” (Gladding, pg. 303). Depression “affects 121 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability” (Pépin, Guérette, Lefebvre & Jacques, pg. 117).

As adults age there are many changes that one may be challenged with. Aging adults begin to face cognitive, physical, and emotional issues that can present a challenge to health care professionals who are providing care. As one enters older adulthood, he or she is faced with potential memory loss. A struggle of forgetfulness can be a daily challenge that comes with aging. Degradation of the body can make everyday tasks increasingly challenging. With this degradation, simple activities such as walking, dressing oneself, eating, and showering can be limiting and difficult. Depression, loneliness, and a sense of

1) Why is depression so common in late life? I base this question on Blazer (2009), who said that depression is common in late life, affecting nearly 5 million of the 31 million Americans aged 65 and older with clinically significant depressive symptoms reaching 13% in older adults aged 80 and older.

small idea that they days are final. In addition, an elderly adult may have stressors with everyday living by themselves, there are elderly adult that tend to want to live by themselves and live daily life as an adult but there can be many issues of physical attributes that are not as fluent when they were a bit younger. Another stressor within elderly adulthood, is going through many health examinations and excessive mediational intake that can be overwhelming for an elderly adult who is exhausted for the obligations. In the journal article Aging and depression: Vulnerability and stress across adulthood author Michele Karel expresses that age differences shows a significant measurement of depression across adulthood, which raises questions

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “older adults are at an increased risk of depression, because depression is more common in people who have other illnesses, and 80% of older adults have a chronic condition” (CDC, 2017). The CDC also mentions that older adults are often misdiagnosed or undertreated, because the symptoms may be thought to be the cause of something else, or the patient doesn’t understand that treatment would be beneficial and do not seek help.

As people grow older, they develop dental problems which lead to nutritional intake issues. Cognitive function declines affecting memory, decision making, conversing, and problem solving. In addition, falls can occur with mental status disturbances. Lack of social interaction, depression, and anxiety also crop up in the elderly. Sleep patterns are altered by restless legs, snoring, and disrupted breathing sequences. At times, pain can be constant from arthritis, osteoarthritis, or other medical issues (Tabloski, 2014).

As an older individual there are many physical changes that occurs during this stage of life. Older individuals live independently and maintain close relationships with family and friends. Most individual’s personalities remain relatively stable throughout their lives. Depression is less prevalent than depression in younger adults. Becoming older can cause hearing impairment. 37 percent of women and 48 percent of men over the age of 75 have impaired hearing. Also there is a decline in vision. It will start to become difficult to read small print, seeing in sim light, or even finding objects. Some aging adults may even need

Mental disorders are becoming more prevalent in today's society as people add stress and pressure to their daily lives. The elderly population is not eliminated as a candidate for a disorder just because they may be retired. In fact, mental disorders affect 1 in 5 elderly people. One would think that with disorders being rather prevalent in this age group that there would be an abundance of treatment programs, but this is not the case. Because the diagnosis of an individual's mental state is subjective in nature, many troubled people go untreated regularly (summer 1998). Depression in the elderly population is a common occurrence, yet the diagnosis and treatment seem to slip

Typical presenting symptoms in older adults are weakness, insomnia, hypersomnia, headache, fatigue, irritability, chronic constipation, pain, agitation, and unintentional weight loss/change. Dementia and Delirium are also known to have higher rates of depression in older adults. The Geriatric Depression Scale, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, and the nine item Patient Health Questionnaire are screening tools utilized when an older adult presents with signs and symptoms of depression (Downing, Caprio & Lyness, 2013).

As the United States grew to be a more accepting society towards people with mental illness, people of color, women’s rights, and gay and lesbian’s rights, social workers have found the time to concentrate more on elderly causes. Given the huge number of baby boomers moving into retirement, the rise of depression and suicide of the elderly, and the media attention on mental health over the last decade, social workers are directing their attention to the specific needs of the elderly population.

The purpose of this project is to educate caregivers of the elderly who may experience depression so they may be able to recognizes the warning signs of depression. At the end of this session, participants will be able to verbalize signs and symptoms of depression. This section of the paper explains the patient population, procedures, ethical considerations, learning environment, and measured outcomes of the educational sessions. At the end of the session, participants will be able to recognize depression in elderly adults. The project team will implement an educational program for adults ages 18 and older on how to recognize signs of depression in elder adults. This project will consist of three phases that will include a preparatory phase,

As most of society is aware of healthcare is a hot topic and it is an issue that affects most everyone, from newborns to centenarians. I am going to show what issues affect most of our seniors in regards to mental challenges, cognitive degeneration, and physical health issues. In addition I am going to show how these changes jeopardize the independence and safety issues of seniors who live alone. I will show various ways of counteracting the different healthcare concerns that can restrict the effects of a disease or limit the symptoms of various illnesses. No matter how one feels