How home care helps with late-life depression

Late-life depression affects more than 6.5 million seniors over the age of 65. This happens because of  isolation caused by the loss of a partner, loved one or sibling, and decreased independence. A decrease in physical and social activity among seniors can also cause mental health issues.

You need to identify the signs of depression early, as they can adversely affect your loved ones. If left untreated, it can cause decreased brain cognition, life-limiting illness, physical limitations, and pain.

Seeking mental health treatment can help treat late-life depression. However, arranging for a home care Omaha NE professional can help the elderly significantly to improve the mental health.

What can home care Omaha NE professionals provide for your loved one?

Caregivers provide seniors with assistance in performing daily activities such as grooming, personal hygiene, positioning, transferring and nutrition. While all these are limited to physical support, caregivers can also provide emotional support to help minimize depression. These include:

Companionship

There are seniors who live alone after their spouse passes away or their children no longer live with them. Many seniors are left at home alone all day. Working all day and having to pick up your kids leaves you with little to no time to visit your loved one. Being alone for long periods of time causes isolation which contributes to depression. 

With a home care Omaha NE caregiver, your loved one has company throughout the day. Someone to talk to and play bingo with makes a huge difference for a  senior. It can make them happy and active while you are at work.

Administering medication

Whether your parent or elderly loved one is ill or takes antidepressants, they need to manage it correctly. Your loved one could forget to take them and cause them to feel ill again. There’s also the problem of over dosage that could cause them to develop a drug dependency problem. 

If your loved one is on antidepressants, they need help to take the correct dosage at the correct time. Patients with dementia often forget to take drugs, which causes complications to their health. A caregiver acts as a reminder to take the right dosage and maintain your loved one's mental health.

Physical activities

Performing physical activities like going to the store and attending social gatherings boost your loved one's mood. Instead of spending hours indoors staring at the ceiling, they can interact with other seniors and feel loved. They can continue to feel independent and even develop new friendships. 

Home health care services provide transportation services that keep your loved one active. Our professionals can take them to shop for groceries, pay their bills or even to their doctor check ups. Or they can even go and meet up with a friend they haven’t seen in a while. This creates a sense of belonging in the community, thus giving life satisfaction.

Hire us

Akkase Home Healthcare provides to elderly patients that have limited mobility. We make your loved one's life easier by helping with daily chores and providing them with company. Contact us today for our personal care services.