Skip to main content

Mental health in seniors: How to improve cognition and emotions as we get older?

In today’s time with the mounting stress of our daily lives, many of you might be concerned regarding your mental health. As far as physical well-being goes, one can take measures through medications and physical exercises but what about mental health? As we get older our sense of judgment weakens, our mind weakens and there’s a sudden overflow of emotions. We all may have once seen this in the elder members of our families.

According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study of mental health in older adults aged 55+, it is estimated that 20% of senior citizens experience some type of mental health concern. The most common conditions include anxiety, severe cognitive impairment, and mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar depression.

Once aging sets in, many of our cognitive abilities slowly start declining. These include impairments to short-term working memory, processing speed, retrieval of memories/information, fluctuating attention span, and problem-solving abilities. A subtle and gradual decline of cognitive senses is a normal sign during aging, however, a sharp fall might be a sign of dementia which is not a part of healthy aging. Specific measures to keep oneself socially, mentally, and physically active in addition to adopting the right dietary changes can slow down cognitive decline in elderly individuals.

Measures we can take to improve the mental health: Cognition and emotions in seniors-

  1. Mind stimulation activity: Our body needs physical activity so that it doesn’t weaken, similarly, our mind too needs mental activity to maintain its health and not go through a sharp cognitive decline. It is said that brain activity stimulating games can help sharpen certain skills such as processing speed, planning skills, reaction time, decision making, and short-term memory.

Some of the activities that can keep your mind involved in an activity are:

  • Reading and Writing
  • Learning a new language
  • Puzzles and games such as Chess, Sudoku, Crossword
  • Playing an Instrument – Music is always a soothing factor for mental health.
  1. Physical Activity: Sometimes physical activity doesn’t only benefit the body but also helps the mind to stay active, build up confidence and provide the energy to withstand any mental blow!

In addition to the physical benefits, a light workout can also help manage stress, anxiety, and depression in seniors, which can be just as detrimental to seniors’ health as physical ailments and injuries. Exercising in order to maintain positive senior mental health is important.

  1. Social involvement: Time and aging tend to create a distance between elders with their social life and friends. It is very crucial to have someone to talk to, someone to share some thoughts with as you grow older since these are the things that if left unattended may lead to loneliness and depression.

Learning how to connect with new and old friends on social media, through various video-based calling apps are just some ways to stay in touch.

  1. Caring for a Pet: As one grows older they need something to put their mind into, anything can be adopted as a new hobby or a time-consuming activity that provides them happiness and a sense of belonging. For an elder caring for a pet can be as helpful as an adult with a job guarantee.

If you don’t want or are unable to adopt a pet then volunteering for an animal shelter may also be quite interactive and helpful.

Including these measures in your daily life, from early on can be beneficial while combating cognitive decline. Special conditions should be made by caregivers, nurses, therapists, and society to adopt such measures. Samvedna Senior Care provides such care packages for the well-being of the elderly. They have an experienced staff that understands the requirements of the seniors and takes appropriate measures for their well-being.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

The post Mental health in seniors: How to improve cognition and emotions as we get older? appeared first on Samvedna Senior Care.



from Samvedna Senior Care https://ift.tt/3vM1Ysm
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Connection Between Aging, Exercise, and Healthy Lungs

Enjoying a long and healthy retirement requires taking good care of yourself. While many people focus on living a heart-smart lifestyle, taking proactive steps to maintain healthy lungs is essential, too. As we age, the lungs become weaker and less flexible. This can contribute to a variety of diseases and chronic health conditions. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , lung-related illnesses are the 3rd leading cause of death in this country. That includes lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma—adding up to nearly 235,000 deaths a year. Here are a few tips you can use to keep your lungs healthy: Stop smoking. Talk with your primary care physician about smoking cessation programs. Avoid secondhand smoke. Research shows it can be just as deadly as being a smoker. Stay away from harsh chemicals. It’s important to avoid breathing in damaging fumes (e.g., home cleaners and weed killers). Prevent infections. Many infections can lead to
Post a Comment
Read more

How You Can Join the Fight Against Alzheimer’s

World Alzheimer’s Month in September is an opportunity to raise awareness about this complex disease and to challenge the stigmas surrounding dementia. Launched in 2012, the awareness month spotlights the fact that 2 out of every 3 people globally believe there is little understanding of dementia in their countries. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia and it is the 6 th leading cause of death in the US, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual report. With the senior population growing quickly, Alzheimer’s and dementia cases will continue to increase as well, unless researchers can find a cure. This upcoming Monday, Sept. 21, is World Alzheimer’s Day, a call to action for all of us to educate ourselves on how to take preventative steps, identify symptoms and support loved ones who have been diagnosed. Read more below to learn how to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. Know the Warning Signs Detecting Alzheimer’s disease e
Post a Comment
Read more

Film Screening at Samvedna Senior Care

On 30th September, 2019, Samvedna Senior Care Foundation hosted the 2nd film festival of generations in association with Heidelberg University, Germany. The film Sputnik Moment – 30 years and beyond was screened at our senior citizen centre in Gurgaon for our members and staff. The film highlighted how senior citizens in Germany and the US were taking up second careers to fill their time, engage meaningfully and also get support through additional income. Post the screening Dr. Martin Gieselmann, Executive Secretary, SAI, Heidelberg University and Dr. Constanze, Coordinator DAAD Project, Heidelberg University along with our team engaged with the audience in an interesting discussion on the Indian scenario. Members shared that in India it is not easy for senior citizens to pick up jobs after retirement, however it was interesting to see that many in the audience did have jobs post retirement. They also spoke about stereotypes and social attitudes towards ageing and shared their per
Post a Comment
Read more