How to Help Depressed Elderly Parent. Online Geriatric Mental Health Counseling.

Do you find yourself asking “what are symptoms of depression in the elderly?” If so, we recommend that you make use of online geriatric mental health counseling.

Studies have shown that personality disorder in elderly people is not uncommon. So, if you are struggling to find what to say to someone who is depressed, be encouraging and show an interest in them.

You can encourage them to find a meaningful hobby, or to take on a physical activity like playing bowls or going for walks.

These are some of the symptoms you should look out for – sudden aches and pains, shying away from hobbies and socializing, lack of motivation, loss of appetite or weight loss, melancholy.

Personality disorders in the elderly can also lead to the onset of Alzheimer’s and other related types of dementia.

Finding a good online geriatric mental health specialist to help me and my parent.

If you are caring for a depressed elderly parent and are wondering how to help both of you in this sad situation, Psychology Help highly recommends that you seek online geriatric mental health counseling.

With the help of online geriatric mental health counseling, you can turn around those feelings of despair and depression and Psychology Help recommends that you make use of the services of Betterhelp․

With Betterhelp’s assistance, you will be matched with an online geriatric mental health counselling therapist who will help you and your aged parent to cope with your emotional and psychological needs.

Opting for online geriatric mental health counseling as opposed to offline sessions is not only more affordable and convenient but also gives you the opportunity of selecting one of the many professional therapists from Betterhelp. And, you can easily change therapists within the Betterhelp network at a later stage if that’s what you choose to do.

With BetterHelp, you get unlimited sessions and chats for which you pay a fixed weekly fee. Another advantage is that this is likely to be significantly more affordable than the cost of sessions with most other offline geriatric mental health therapists.

Make a start by filling out the questionnaire carefully, making sure to provide as much information as possible. This will assist BetterHelp to match you with the specialist geriatric mental health therapist to meet your needs.

Get matched with a Betterhelp therapist specialized in geriatric mental health.

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What are symptoms of depression in the elderly?

Tell-tale signs that your parent may be suffering from depression are decreased levels of energy and poor concentration, spending too much time sleeping, fatigue, changes in appetite, and insomnia.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 13.5 percent of the elderly population in America, who receive homecare, suffer from depression. The CDC says that depression in the elderly is not uncommon. The elderly are more vulnerable to the disease because of factors such as their mobility and function becoming more restricted.

But there are ways in which you can help an elderly parent who is suffering from depression. Apart from regular exercise, taking part in activities and helping them maintain social contact, with online geriatric mental health counseling, you can help your parent regain quality of life.

What to say to someone who is depressed?

Showing that you care is probably one of the most important aspects of dealing with an elderly parent suffering from depression.

Ask them how they are feeling and reassure them of your support by listening to what they have to say. Get your parent up, dressed, and out of the house by going for a walk, grabbing a bite to eat at a restaurant, or even going to a movie.

Discuss your concern for their wellbeing and suggest that you both may need to talk to someone about their depression, someone like an online geriatric mental health therapist.

How personality changes in the elderly parents affect the family?

When you begin looking after an elderly parent you effectively take on the role of caregiver and caring for an aging parent can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. Coping with their personality changes can also prove confusing but seeking professional guidance is always the best solution to handle your stressful situation.

Two of the main factors that spark sudden and significant personality changes in the elderly are cognitive decline and memory loss. This can manifest as childish behavior and loss of inhibition.

You may feel devastated and at a loss to cope with this overnight change in personality that can turn your parents into strangers. Inexplicable and sudden changes in behavior can include aggression, apathy, belligerence and depression. It is also not unusual for aging parents to throw tantrums or display increasingly childish behaviour.

These changes in behavior patterns are usually linked to their loss of independence and a build-up of resentment towards you, their caregiver. They can perceive you as the person responsible for them losing their independence and this situation can cause you both resentment and increasing emotional stress.

That is why getting matched with an emotional support therapist near me to help you cope with taking care of elderly parents is highly recommended.

How does Alzheimer’s affect family and friends?

What impact does Alzheimer’s have on family? Well, the effect of Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia on family and friends can be emotionally devastating. Feelings of fear, anger, sadness and frustration can swamp the emotional roller-coaster following the diagnosis.

Families often become increasingly isolated socially when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. This lack of social contact has an emotional impact on the family, and particularly on the caregiver who often tends to sacrifice their hobbies and the time they spend with family and friends.

The sufferer usually becomes the main focus of attention. This often causes family members, such as children and spouses, to feel neglected, an emotion that can spark resentment.

On the other side of the coin, the victim of Alzheimer’s becomes increasingly anxious and is, therefore, less likely to be social. In fact, they generally shy away from social interaction.

All the while this adds to your stress levels and your family- coping mechanisms as your Alzheimer’s sufferer becomes increasingly irritable, rude and impatient. As the Alzheimer’s victim’s carer you must seek help from an online emotionally focused therapist if you begin to suffer any of the following:

Feelings of being overwhelmed
Constantly worrying
Exhaustion
Unusual sleep patterns
Changes in weight, either loss or gain
Irritability
Sadness
Frequent headaches

How does online geriatric mental health work?

There are many advantages to online geriatric mental health counseling. This form of therapy offers convenient online access to treatment sessions conducted in the comfort of your home surroundings and at a price level lower than that of conventional face-to-face therapy. The definite advantages of online therapy are the levels of privacy, comfort, speed, and convenience.

Probably the most important difference between online therapy and traditional geriatric mental health sessions is convenience. Sessions can be conducted anywhere and at any time and you don’t have to worry about traveling.

The other great advantage is the level of privacy you will enjoy. You don’t have to worry about anyone finding out that you and your elderly parent are receiving geriatric mental health guidance. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to mental health issues, an uncomfortable situation that online therapy helps you to avoid.

Geriatric counseling will help you and your elderly parent to cope with the difficulties they experience in their transition from an active and productive life to old age. Counseling will help you to address and accept these changes. It can also help you to communicate better with close family members whose lives are affected when you take on the role of caring for an elderly parent suffering from depression.

Other aspects of the difficulties you will face caring for an elderly parent are how to cope if they refuse your help and how to handle the emotional trauma of how Alzheimer’s affects families.

How will a geriatric therapist near me help me to treat my elderly parents?

Online geriatric therapists will help you to deal with your depressed elderly parent by teaching you how to see the world from their point of view, how to talk to them openly and honestly and involve them in more fun activities.

The many challenges you will face as your parent’s caregiver, apart from dealing with their depression, include coping with personality changes and spotting the early signs of depression. An online geriatric mental health therapist will also give you the emotional support you will need should the depression lead to dementia.