How prepared are you to handle the battles of mental health during your golden years? Many of us are concerned for our mental health during our younger years, but how does senior mental health enter the equation?
Charlotte, NC, is one of the best cities to battle depression symptoms in elderly patients. Whether you’re in Charlotte for the rich, beautiful music culture or the gorgeous landscapes, there’s something to help alleviate even the worst symptoms of a mental health battle. But does depression cause memory loss, and how does this impact a dementia diagnosis?
If you’re curious about aging and memory challenges, we’re here to offer our guidance. Read on for a quick overview of senior mental health.
Depression and Memory Loss
Depression has long been linked to memory loss and challenges with cognitive function. According to Healthline, depression has been associated mostly with short-term memory loss.
What does this mean? It mostly means that remembering things in the short term can be challenging. This usually relates to issues like remembering your current task, focusing on work, and similar issues.
Depression is not linked to long-term memory. Depression also has not been linked to procedural memory, which is what our mind uses for motor skills.
That is to say, depression will not begin to have intense ramifications on your cognitive function. However, it can worsen symptoms of other already-existing memory loss conditions.
Other Symptoms of Depression
Depression doesn’t only cause challenges with short-term memory. Many of the cognitive symptoms are worsened by physical symptoms. Some symptoms include:
- Feelings of sorrow, anxiety, hopelessness, or numbness
- A loss of existing interest in activities
- Feeling restless, low-energy, or irritable
- A loss of appetite and swinging changes in one’s weight
- Difficulties with sleeping, headaches, back pain, and more
A few red flags are easy to spot when dealing with these symptoms and seniors. Difficulties sleeping, headaches, and feelings of fatigue are already common symptoms. How, then, can we battle depression in seniors when it’s difficult to tell apart from other pre-existing symptoms?
Moreover, these symptoms exist in a manner that can worsen each other. A loss of appetite is a true struggle when a healthy diet is one of the best things for seniors. According to MyPlate, seniors should begin focusing on a healthy diet at an age as young as 60.
Handling Depression Symptoms in Elderly Individuals
With a better understanding of depression symptoms, how can we focus on senior mental health? It’s especially important to understand how these symptoms interact with existing conditions. But does depression cause memory loss, or is there more to the story?
According to an article in Psychiatric Annals, late-life depression is often accompanied by cognitive impairment. Estimates can vary heavily, but some studies have shown a combination of both conditions in about 25% of older adults.
These symptoms also continue as age advances. According to the same study, the number of community residents handling both conditions at once doubles every five years after the age of 70. Oftentimes, these conditions are related to the same source, while they’re just as often independent.
Put simply, that means that cognitive issues can sometimes cause depression, and vice versa. It also means that depression and cognitive issues can exist at the same time as individual conditions.
Alleviating Depression in Elderly Individuals
How can we battle cognitive decline and depression in elderly individuals? Thankfully, many of the treatments are rather simple.
Before we look into treatment, it’s important to understand that depression is a medical condition. All patients, no matter their age, are best served by discussing depression with their doctor.
Focus on Community
One of the most important ways to alleviate depression is to focus on the community. Studies show that socializing helps to alleviate depression in all age groups. According to Harvard, improving your social life can help you reinforce your sense of being competent and boost your mood.
But what about seniors who feel they can’t network? It’s just as important to focus on community in this age group.
According to the National Institute on Aging, loneliness and social isolation are two of the biggest risks for older adults. These feelings can make it much harder to battle cognitive decline and depression.
As such, the best fix is to work on having an enriched and lively social circle. Many communities are excellent at fostering this sort of caring environment. We’re proud to offer community events to help you stay social!
Stay Active and Healthy
There’s more to staying healthy than staying social. It’s best to focus on staying active to help your body stay as healthy as you want your mind to be.
Studies have shown that exercise is one of the best ways to improve your mental health. According to the Mental Health Foundation, low-intensity aerobic exercise is best at increasing positive moods.
This is a great result for seniors who are struggling with physical fitness. Going for a marathon run isn’t something realistic for most patients, but that isn’t something that’s necessary!
Low-intensity aerobic exercises include walking, yoga, and gentle weightless aerobic workouts. These are best when paired with medical advice to decide on what workout regimen is best for you.
Participate in Artistic Therapy
Finally, artistic therapy is a great way to improve your mood. Writing and creating physical art will help to keep your memories straight, as well as help you to keep your mind in a better mood.
For many of us, this is also a desirable hobby. It’s a great way to mix your creativity and your mental health.
Does Depression Cause Memory Loss?
Does depression cause memory loss? Not only can depression symptoms in elderly patients lead to memory loss, but they can also worsen existing conditions. Aging and memory are tied closely with senior mental health, making it crucial to all cognitive support efforts.
Emotional wellness is one of the many specialties of us here at TerraBella Little Avenue. Our slice of paradise in Charlotte, North Carolina, is full of trained, skilled professionals passionate about increasing your quality of life and offers amenities such as a community garden and walking paths. Schedule a tour today to see how we can improve your golden years.
