Depression Prevalent in Caregivers of Loved Ones with Dementia

The ideal place to find and attend a support group is at a loved one’s Adult Day Care Center, as the professionals there will be familiar with the specific situation. Support groups educate caregivers on how to manage challenging behaviors and help them develop an emotional shift so hurtful statements no longer cause the pain and devastation they once did. They learn not to argue or use logic or reason, but practice using distraction and redirection instead.

And when a caregiver desperately needs someone to talk to but it is 4:00 am, online support groups can be very helpful. The good news is that it’s daytime somewhere and online caregivers offer help and support from every corner of the world.

SIGNS OF DEPRESSION

·       Feeling tired and listless most of the time.

·       Change in eating habits resulting in unwanted weight gain or loss.

·       Change in sleep patterns, too much or not enough.

·       Loss of interest in people and activities that used to be pleasurable.

·       Becoming easily agitated, anxious, angered, frustrated, overwhelmed.

·       Feeling that nothing is ever good enough.

·       Persistent “what’s the use” thinking.

·       Thoughts of death or suicide, or attempting suicide.

·       Ongoing physical symptoms that don’t respond to treatment such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain.

DEPRESSION IN THE PATIENT
Depression should also be suspected in the one being care for and evaluated by a healthcare professional. Imagine yourself, having to rely on someone to care for you (usually the child you sacrificed and did so much for) and telling you what to do every hour of every day. You’re not allowed to drive, you’ve lost many of your friends and family and been to dozens of funerals, you have constant aches and pains and health problems, your mobility, sight, hearing, and memory are slipping, and you’re facing mortality directly. OK, who wouldn’t be depressed? Be sure to walk a mile with their walker and ask the doctor if an anti-depressant might be tried, which may greatly help the patient as well as the caregiver’s quality of life.

CONCLUSION
The emotional roller coaster of watching a loved one decline is one of the hardest experiences of life. Therefore, as soon as the caregiving journey begins, caregivers must immediately realize their increased risk for developing depression and/or a serious ailment and respond to the earliest symptoms to lessen the severity and duration of an episode. With regular exercise, a healthy diet, positive self-talk, using Adult Day Care, focusing on a loved one’s present rather than the decline, attending a support group, and seeing a mental health professional and if needed trying an anti-depressant—the level of depression may be greatly reduced.