Modifying Your Elderly Care to Deal with Depression in Parkinson's Disease

Elderly Care in New Brunswick NJ

Parkinson’s disease is a progress neurological disease that can manifest itself in a wide variety of ways. If you are starting a new chapter of your elderly care journey with your aging parent to address PD, it is important that you are aware of the potential symptoms and complications that your parent might face so that you can make the proper modifications to your care efforts. One such issue is depression. Though this mental health concern is not uncommon among elderly adults, when it appears in a senior with Parkinson’s disease it often has a different meaning and should be dealt with in a different way.

Just as with others, depression can occur in a senior with PD because of many different factors. For your aging parent, however, the major change in brain chemicals that occurs during the progression of this disease can play a tremendous role not only in the prevalence of depression, but in the severity of the symptoms and the way that it is treated.

Some of the factors that can contribute to the development of depression during your journey with PD with your aging parent include:

• Negative self-talk. Finding out that they have Parkinson’s disease can be extremely emotionally difficult for your parent. They must suddenly reevaluate their lives and start thinking about their future in a completely different way. Some seniors are able to take this and move forward, while others fall victim to negative self-talk. This is when your parent lets the negative thoughts about the disease and the future become overwhelming and turn into a constant barrage of negativity, putting their mental health at serious risk. Help your parent by talking them through their emotions and helping them to see the good that is still ahead of them. Empower them by discussing treatment and management options so that they can select the one that is right for them.

• Lack of social network. Isolation can be extremely damaging to a senior. A senior with PD is very likely to become more socially isolated because of the symptoms and limitations brought on by the disease. Encourage your parent to stay as engaged with the community as possible, including hiring an elderly health care services provider to offer companionship and to provide transportation that will help your parent stay move involved.

• Stress. Stress is a reality of life and is something that the vast majority of seniors who receive a diagnosis with Parkinson’s will experience. If this stress goes unchecked, however, it can turn into distress, which is damaging to mental health. Help your parent find effective means of controlling and minimizing stress. Breathing and relaxation exercises, physical exercise, meditation, spiritual practice, and art are all effective forms of stress relief that can help support your parent’s mental health and protect them from the dangers of depression.

If you worry that your parent is depressed, talk to their doctor. The doctor may be able to supplement their current care program to address this condition effectively.

Source

http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/non-motor-symptoms/depression/What-Causes-Depression

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in New Brunswick, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care of New Brunswick today. Call (732) 607-8870.