Senior Care Florida City FL
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swedish psychiatrist made famous by her research with terminally ill patients, suggested that there are five emotional stages many people progress through: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These stages are now considered part of the aging process as well. Some senior parents will exhibit all five stages, while others will progress through only a few and in no particular order. This article addresses depression—the fourth stage.
Depression
You’ve watched your senior loved one traverse through the stages of denial, anger and bargaining. They may have even skipped one or two and jumped right into the stage you were hoping to avoid—depression. Thoughts of helplessness have replaced hope and faith is a foreign word. “It’s all downhill from here” is a phrase that surely was coined by someone who had hit this stage of aging. Some of the emotions that correspond with this stage are dependency, loneliness, and regret.
Dependency
“I can do that myself!” your parent responds briskly as you try to help her comb her hair. If only you two had a tape recorder of your life together and could push the replay button. How many times must your mom have heard you say those exact words? Frustration mounts as your loved ones physical and mental limitations increase.
Loneliness
Many of your parent’s peers and family members may have become homebound, limiting your parent’s social network. Depression and loneliness are akin to Fred and Ethel, you rarely think of one without the other. As depression mounts, visitors are fewer and a vicious cycle erupts. When attempts at cheering up someone in the throes of depression fail, many will scale back their connection.
Regret
“I wish I’d done that when I was physically capable. I wish I’d treated my friend better. I wish…” Regret is a no-win emotion that can drive the peppiest of people into a gloom and doom downhill spiral.
How to Help
There are ways to help your loved one reach the next stage—acceptance—before you consider doing a face first and laying there for awhile, maybe even a week or two.
Choose your battles. Your loved one wants to wear their shirt inside-out and paint their fingernails, and most of their fingers, neon green—that’s a small battle. Your loved one insists on walking down the middle of the road instead of on the sidewalk—that’s a big battle and will have to be addressed. Allowing them as much independence while still maintaining their safety is a fine line, but one surely worth striving for.
Remind them of the good times. Reminding them of all the happy moments you’ve shared, the special memories, can help to keep their mind on the positive and help remorse and regret to take a back seat.
A Helping Hand
There are times when a new set of eyes and another pair of hands can help tremendously. Senior care providers are trained to deal with the emotional ups and downs that aging brings. In addition to helping your loved one with their daily activities of life, they also provide companionship. This is, at times, the greatest contribution and can be a big help when steering your parent toward the final stage of aging—acceptance.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care Services in Florida City FL, contact the caring staff at Providence Healthcare Services. We provide services in all of Miami Dade county and the Upper Keys. Call today (305) 680-5349.
