{"id":6827,"date":"2013-10-01T15:30:55","date_gmt":"2013-10-01T15:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/detecting-depression-in-seniors\/"},"modified":"2013-10-01T15:30:55","modified_gmt":"2013-10-01T15:30:55","slug":"detecting-depression-in-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/locations\/blog\/detecting-depression-in-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"Detecting Depression in Seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The word &#8220;depression&#8221; has become a normal part of casual conversation in today&#8217;s world. You have probably heard people describe their emotional state as &#8220;depressed.&#8221; The general conception is that the person is sad, whether or not they are clinically diagnosed with depression is unknown. Yet, however common place it is to describe yourself or others as &#8220;depressed&#8221;, depression is not a normal part of the aging process and it is crucial to recognize the signs.<\/p>\n<p>Depression is a medical illness in which a person has persistent feelings of sadness and lack of interest. Depression goes beyond normal feelings of sadness or grief. Unfortunately, depression often goes undiagnosed and<a href=\"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/locations\/blog\/many-seniors-left-untreated-with-depression\/\"> untreated<\/a> in the senior population. According to the American Geriatric Society, homebound seniors suffer from depression at a higher rate than the general elderly population. Furthermore, depression is often misdiagnosed as other common senior issues such as\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Dementia,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Alzheimer\u2019s disease,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Arthritis,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Cancer,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Heart disease,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Parkinson\u2019s disease,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Stroke, or\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Thyroid disorders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Recognize the Signs of Depression<\/h2>\n<p>For those who suffer from depression there is treatment and help available. Learn to recognize the signs and seek professional and medical help.<\/p>\n<p>Signs of depression are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Persistent sadness<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Loss of interest<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Insomnia or excessive sleeping<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Decrease in energy<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Difficulty concentrating<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Increase or decrease in appetite<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Thoughts of death, dying or suicide<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Risk Factors<\/h2>\n<p>While depression is not a normal part of aging, often times, seniors have many risk factors that are associated with depression. Risk factors include:<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Being Female\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Being Single, unmarried, divorced, or widowed<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Lack of supportive social network<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Stressful life events<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Physical conditions and illnesses like stroke, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, cancer, dementia, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Certain medicines or combination of medicines<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Damage to body image (from amputation, cancer surgery, or heart attack)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Family history of major depressive disorder<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Fear of death<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Living alone, social isolation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Past suicide attempt(s)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Presence of chronic or severe pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Previous history of depression<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Recent loss of a loved one<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 13px;line-height: 19px\">Substance abuse<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Diagnosing and Treating Depression<\/h2>\n<p>If you or a loved one suffer from depression, there is help. Diagnosing depression can involve a physical, blood tests or body scan. A psychiatric evaluation is often helpful in prescribing the correct medication and in reviewing current medications and their possible side effects. The most effective form of treating depression is through a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Ask your physician can recommend a local therapist.<\/p>\n<p>If you think you may suffer from depression, take the necessary steps to seeking help. At Preferred Care at Home we want to be there for you, by your side, every step of the way. Give us a call or visit one of <a href=\"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/locations\/locations\/\">our locations<\/a> near you to learn how we can send <a href=\"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/locations\/careers\/\">compassionate caregivers<\/a> to your home to provide quality care and companionship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The word &#8220;depression&#8221; has become a normal part of casual conversation in today&#8217;s world. You have probably heard people describe <a href=\"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/locations\/blog\/detecting-depression-in-seniors\/\" class=\"h5 more-link\">Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[944],"tags":[1105,1106,975],"class_list":["post-6827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-health-wellness","tag-depression","tag-risk-factors","tag-senior-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.7 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Detecting Depression in Seniors - Preferred Care at Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Detecting Depression in Seniors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The word &#8220;depression&#8221; has become a normal part of casual conversation in today&#8217;s world. 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