Losing a loved one is one of the hardest parts of life, and it can lead to depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and even substance abuse. Seniors face the death of a spouse more than any other age group. Learning to live without their life partners might feel impossible at first. Grief can be overwhelming, even when it is not a surprise. In addition to sadness and crying, aging adults in the midst of bereavement might
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Senior loneliness is an epidemic in society today. In fact, more than 40 percent of seniors regularly experience feelings of separation and disconnection from their family and communities — which can have a detrimental impact on both physical and emotional health. Now comes news, however, of a potential loneliness-busting fix: joining a community choir. Here’s a closer look at the research, along with evidence attesting to the many benefits of music therapy.
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Photo via Pixabay by Geralt
Caring for a loved one who suffers from chronic pain can be overwhelming at times even for the most patient individuals. It’s important to remember, however, that there are certain things to take into consideration when caring for someone who is in pain for most of their day, including the fact that believing in their suffering is imperative.
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Grief is a fact of life: nearly everyone has to deal with loss during their lifetime. Grief doesn't just pertain to the death of a loved one, it can occur in response to the loss of anything dear to a person -- from a family pet to a job, to divorce or the loss of a home. Unfortunately, seniors are particularly vulnerable to grief...and its complications.
While grief is natural, it's also largely individualistic: there's no right or wrong way to grieve, although some methods can help the grieving process while others can hinder it. If your aging loved one is experiencing the sadness associated with loss, here are some things you can do to help facilitate the grieving -- and healing -- process.
The kids walked by her apartment twice a day. She sat by the window every morning watching; remembering and sometimes wishing they might stop by some day. Every afternoon they would parade down the sidewalk again and every once in a while one of them would glance over to the window where she sat and perhaps offer a slight smile or wave. The kids never really thought much about the old woman in apartment 21; they just strolled by.
“Despite great strides in our understanding of mental illness and vast improvements in the dialogue surrounding it, too many still suffer in silence.” This is the very first sentence in this year’s Presidential Proclamation for National Mental Health Awareness Month. As America’s population ages, the need for mental and behavioral health services continues to grow. Unfortunately there are many myths about aging and mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression being normal signs of aging. Too often such generalized statements are the cause of older adults being under diagnosed or overlooked for problems that are very treatable. However, even the normal physical and emotional stresses that go along with aging can be risk factors for mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.
From the Seven Wonders of the World to seven days of the week – the number seven appears over and over in history and is considered for many reasons to be the number of perfection. So instead of waiting to celebrate the traditional ten or twenty-year anniversary – mmLearn.org is celebrating our seven years of producing top-notch videos with presenters providing the latest and best caregiver resources available.
How often do we see someone in a wheelchair or in a hospital or nursing home and not even notice or acknowledge the caregiver close by? On a recent Twitter Chat, the topic of discussion was loneliness among seniors and family caregivers. The conversation lit up with comments from professional as well as family caregivers and their responses were often times heart breaking:
In South Texas, we’re pretty accustomed to 100-degree weather in the summer, but winters’ occasional freezes, icy roads, and temperatures in the mid-twenties cause all kinds of havoc. Much to the delight of children and probably teachers, school closings are common, along with a record number of car accidents and that’s without a trace of snow on the ground. But it may also be those dark dreary days of winter that can sometimes cause the elderly and may be even their caregivers to feel depressed or just out of sorts. Perhaps it’s just a matter of becoming resilient to our particular circumstances that helps all of us withstand the test of whatever challenges we deal with on a regular basis.
In the mid to late sixties the folk rock group The Mamas & The Papas splashed on to the recording scene with hits such as California Dreaming – remember? It was several years ago while working in a university office when during a weekly luncheon meeting we realized that there were at least six of us caring for elderly parents. What began soon after was an impromptu gathering of a support group we fittingly named “The Mamas & The Papas.” The group made way for a much needed and long overdue discussion about what everyone was doing to stay sane and find ways to better cope with the stresses and responsibilities of caregiving. Word made its’ way quickly around the small university and before long “The Mamas & The Papas” group welcomed caregiving spouses and even students helping care for grandparents.
