Mental Health Awareness Month: Supporting Your Elderly Loved One
After more than a year of social distancing and isolation, your elderly loved one may be feeling depression and anxiety at increased levels than they normally face. While your older loved one struggling physically may be obvious, mental health struggles can be more challenging to pick up on.
One in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, with one in twenty U.S. adults experiencing serious mental illness each year. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, which has been celebrated in May for 70 years, we were recently on CBS58 discussing early warning signs of mental illness in aging adults as well as ways you can support your elderly loved one.
Early warning signs of mental illness in aging adults
There are a few key changes that may have occurred recently that can point to a larger issue with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or eating disorders. These can include mood changes, such as increased shouting or arguing with friends and family, making comments about feeling desperate or helpless, acting emotionless or like nothing matters, and sudden and aggressive mood swings from confusion, anger, sadness, or fear.
Mental illness tends to also have an impact on physical wellness. Mysterious or unexplainable pains, inability to eat a normal diet, or other digestion issues can point to underlying mental conditions. Another key sign is significant changes in sleeping and eating patterns.
Spotting mental illness
If you live far away from a loved one, it can be difficult to spot minor changes in their personality and daily routine. In-home caregivers can help provide your loved one the support they may need and monitor for changes in physical and mental wellbeing.
Right at Home - Milwaukee can develop a custom-care plan based on your loved one’s needs. We also take into account your loved one’s personality in order to find the best-fit caregiver match. Call (414) 877-1635 now to chat with a senior in-home care expert.
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