The causes of depression in older adults can be found issues such as the loss of a life partner, family, or friends, and changes in social roles and health. Although changes are inevitable in a person’s life they can be more challenging for older adults to handle, especially because these changes tend to occur at the same time. Older adults living in institutions have an extremely high rate of depression, with 30 to 40 percent suffering from mental illnesses (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). For the older adults who can not afford private housing, moving into a care home may be their only option. This loss of independence along with leaving behind many of their personal possessions to move into a care home in itself a depressing situation for older adults. The causes of mental illness in older adults can be brought back to poor lifestyle and self-care, and their ability in adapting to modern-day society (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). This statement highlights some of the reasons why there is an extremely high rate of depression among older adults residing in care homes. The controversial issue with older adults suffering from depression in these institutions is that caregivers can overlook their symptoms, as they are masked by the inevitable results of aging.
The older adult’s lifestyle changes completely, having to get used to the new norms and having to make new relationship with other residents of the care home. The transition can be likened to a culture shock. The caregivers and residents of the care home promote relationships between residents by organizing tournament games, clubs and parties for all residents to participate in. In care homes caregivers are responsible to help older adults who are no longer capable of completing self-care tasks such as, bathing and feeding. For older adults who loose the ability to preform theses once basic tasks, they often feel a loss of autonomy, which ultimately results in depression. Older adults have the belief that they should return to more traditional, non-medical approaches to healthcare and begin to look after themselves rather than turning to medicine (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). The reasoning for this is not only to reduce their dependency for medication but also to give themselves a sense of independence in handling their own health.
It is vital that older adults are capable of adapting to modern-day society, especially in care homes where there are already norms that they are expected to follow. When an older adult looses focus on what role they have in their environment, they can feel as if they do not serve a purpose in society. In attempting to follow norms older adults may believe that they are behaving in a socially responsible manner whereas if they deviate they feel they are behaving in an irresponsible manner (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). Thus they feel guilty and search for reasons to justify why they differ from modern-day society. This can lead to mental illnesses due to the stress of feeling isolated from other residents and caregivers in their care home.
Older adults that have depression within an institution are often untreated due to caregivers not recognizing their condition. This happens because older adults may express or exhibit certain symptoms that are common to both aging and depression more frequently and in specific ways, which leads to caregivers to under diagnosing and therefore not treating the depression. The types of symptoms commonly shared with aging and depression are physical problems such as having difficulty with sleep, insomnia, and feeling tired all the time (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). This a difficult obstacle for care givers to determine if an older adult has depression, which results in individuals not receiving treatment. The older adults with untreated depression often also suffer from other common mental disorders that include; Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, anxiety disorders or delirium (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). This is an issue that can not be easily fixed in care homes because of the difficulties in clearly identifying and diagnosing symptoms of depression while taking into account the normal effects of aging.
There are a variety of successful strategies that are available for older adults to overcome depression, which include talk therapies, increased social support, and psychiatric medications. The recovery rate for moderate to severe clinical depression is 60 to 80 percent using talk therapy and medication in combination (Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario). Through socialization older adults can attain meaningful relationships with other residents that not only help them escape from isolation but give them the means to fit into society. This is why having residents participate in tournament games, clubs and parties is a very important aspect of care homes. Not only will they be able to have a role along side other residents, they can make meaningful relationships that help prevent depression.
In suggesting how to prevent mental illness in older adults, it can be brought back to achieving self-actualization. When an older adult can adapt to the lifestyle of living in an institution, it can create a role for the individual (Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T., 2003). Thus, giving the older adult a sense of purpose in the care home that results in the individual recovering from their mental illness. Although diagnosing older adults with depression is difficult, once it is, the worsening of the depression can be prevented by having social interaction with others, talk therapy, and in severe cases using medication. Looking back at older adults suffering from depression when adapting to the norms of their care homes, all they actually need is a support system that recognizes their needs and helps them meet them.
-Chandra B
References
Murray, M., Pullman, D. & Rodgers, T. (2003). Heath Social Representations of Health and Illness among ' Baby−boomers' in Eastern Canada. Journal of health psychology, 8(5), p.485 – 499.
Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario. (n.d.). Seniors and Depression. Retrieved from: http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/seniors.asp?cID=5800
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