How to Combat Holiday Depression in the Elderly
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For most of us, holidays are a time for celebration and enjoyment.
However, this isn’t always the case for many elderly individuals who may be dealing with holiday blues. Holidays can be a difficult time for seniors for a multitude of reasons.
They may miss their families that are far away, they may be grieving lost loved ones, or they may simply struggle to celebrate the holidays the same way they did when they were younger. Whether it’s due to health or mobility issues, sometimes seniors cannot shop, decorate, or prepare meals as they did in their youth.
Holiday depression in the elderly is prevalent and may cause symptoms such as insomnia, excessive sleeping, lack of appetite, problems with concentration and remembering things, and more. It’s important to take steps to combat this before holiday depression in the elderly turns into senior depression.
Here are some of the best ways to combat depression in seniors during the holidays.
Talking It Out
Talking it out and sharing memories of the past are excellent ways to fight depression in seniors during the holidays. Whether it’s a simple conversation over the phone or an in-person visit, seniors need to have an outlet so that they don’t bottle up their emotions and fears.
Encouraging Exercise and Activity
Exercise and physical activity are essential components of senior care and allow seniors to thrive during their golden years. The importance of exercise for seniors goes beyond physical benefits – this also helps them emotionally and ensures that they feel good during stressful times like holidays.
Keeping Alcohol Use in Check
Alcohol is a depressant that can worsen holiday blues for seniors. While it’s okay to drink socially, alcohol can be replaced with other festive drinks such as hot chocolate and eggnog. The latter can help seniors toast to the season without worsening or triggering their holiday depression.
Staying Connected With Friends and Family
Holiday depression in the elderly can often be traced back to loneliness and isolation. In this digital age, it’s important not to let loneliness get the best of you. Seniors can use technology like cell phones and computers to stay in touch with friends and family who do not live close.
Staying connected can be difficult, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are 7 ways families can stay connected to senior loved ones:
- Make video calling easy (Facebook, Skype, Zoom)
- Try senior-friendly tech products
- Plan a window visit
- Take a virtual vacation online
- Rediscover snail mail
- Enlist caregivers’ help
- Pick up the phone twice as often
Volunteering and Giving Back
Many organizations require volunteers during the holiday season and throughout the year.
Holiday depression in the elderly can be reduced by volunteering at soup kitchens or other organizations and doing their part to give back to the community. This can improve moods and help increase seniors’ sense of self-worth, effectively reducing holiday blues for seniors.
Combatting Holiday Depression in the Elderly
The holidays can be a tough time for many, but they’re especially tough for seniors who have lost loved ones and aren’t able to participate in them the way they used to.
However, this doesn’t mean that they’re not an important time that people should cherish. From visiting seniors and keeping them engaged to simply talking it out with them, there are many ways people can combat holiday depression in the elderly.
Living alone and far away from family can be especially damaging and isolating, which is why more and more seniors are opting for assisted living. One of the major benefits of assisted living is a sense of community and the socialization that seniors can engage in. Instead of aging at home alone, seniors can take advantage of public outings, dancing and exercise classes, movie nights, and more.
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