April 7 is World Health Day. The theme for World Health Day 2017 is Depression: Let’s Talk. Although depression is not a normal part of aging, it can be common among older adults. Even though the CDC estimates that approximately 7 million seniors in America suffer some type of depression each year, most seniors are happy with their lives.

Depression tends to be more common in people who have other health conditions. According to the CDC, 80 percent of older adults have at least one chronic health condition and 50 percent have two or more, such as heart disease or cancer. That puts seniors at a greater risk of having depression.

Depression goes beyond ‘feeling blue’ or having an ‘off’ day. We all experience sad feelings at times! For someone who is clinically depressed, they cannot just snap out of it. It may occur when there is a significant change in an older adult’s life – the death of a loved one, moving away from family or friends, or a serious illness. However, the symptoms of depression may go beyond being sad.

Other symptoms of depression include:

• Being more tired than usual
• Restless sleep or having a hard time falling asleep
• Being irritable
• Confusion
• Lack of attention

Some of these symptoms, like confusion or lack of attention, may look like Alzheimer’s, even though the person does not have that disease. If the person is on medication, especially multiple types of medication, there could be side effects that contribute to depression. These are things that should be discussed with a medical professional.

What can you do to help an older loved one who you think may be depressed?

Here are 6 things you can do:

• Invite your loved one out. Take them out for a meal, a visit to a park, or to your house to see the grandkids. Get them out of their home where they are alone and into another environment where they can interact with other people.
• Schedule social activities. Does your loved one have friends or other family members in the area? Do they like to do things at the ‘Y?’ Schedule activities for your loved. If you cannot always take them places, see if someone else can take them to an activity. Many communities have senior transportation available. Again, having more social interaction is important for seniors.
• Make healthy meals for them. Eating healthy meals has positive benefits beyond your waistline. When you feel better physically, your mental and emotional state will benefit too. Your loved one may not want to cook for themselves, so they resort to frozen or other packaged foods. Even though the package may say they are healthy, they are filled with preservatives. If you can cook for your loved one and package that food so they simply have to thaw and reheat, you have created a win-win!
• Review their prescriptions. Are they taking the correct doses at the right time of the day? Taking more or less medication than prescribed could have serious side effects.
• Take them for a medical exam. If the symptoms of depression persist, a medical professional can do a thorough exam to determine the root cause of the symptoms. Once a diagnosis is made, make sure your loved one follows up with any treatment.
• Bring them to Naperville Senior Center. At NSC, we provide the social interaction that seniors need. From gaming to exercising to singing and dancing, we let our Members express themselves throughout the day. We also provide a hot, healthy noon-time meal.

Each day our Members spend time socializing, verbalizing, improvising, evangelizing, visualizing, exercising, having fun, and a host of other activities to provide mental and physical stimulation.

Call to action: to learn more about how NSC can provide a respite for you and a great social environment for your loved one, contact us at 630.857.3017. You can also schedule a tour to see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”