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In this day and age, it has become increasingly essential to focus on the mental health and well-being of elderly individuals. Especially since the stressors brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have increased mental health service needs for older adults.
The Silent Struggle
The World Health Organization states that over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder (excluding headache disorders) and 6.6% of all disability (disability adjusted life years-DALYs) among people over 60 years is attributed to mental and neurological disorders. The physical issues are usually identified and treated, but the mental health issues for the larger part remain undiagnosed. The worry of social stigma and the association with mental illness deters people from seeking professional help for mental health, and it becomes a silent struggle that often goes unnoticed by family, friends, and even healthcare professionals.
Several factors affect the mental health of the elderly.
Chronic pain is a common issue faced by elderly patients in hospice care, often resulting from their underlying medical conditions. Being in constant discomfort brings about feelings of helplessness, frustration, irritability, and depression.
Grief is the natural response to the death of a loved one and is encountered oftentimes in hospice care. It’s a complex emotion that can manifest in many different ways like anger, loneliness, and denial.
Due to lack of social connections, elderly patients in hospice care may experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. If left unaddressed, it can lead to depression and reduced quality of life.
Breaking the Stigma
Caring for the mental health of the elderly is a responsibility that we, as a society, must work on. Providing mental health support should be a priority to ensure their overall well-being.
At Caring Partners Hospice, we provide our residents with a warm and supportive assisted living community, where one can live life to its fullest potential and get their needs attended to with skilled, compassionate care.
Our goal is for each resident to feel at home and part of a social, friendly community that supports all aspects of their overall well-being. Every one of our locations is designed with resident care, comfort, and enjoyment in mind.
By Caring Partners Hospice
August 1, 2023
