Caregivers in Plano TX Can Help Seniors Overcome Depression
Roberta was the kind of woman who enjoyed spending time with friends and taking part in a variety of activities. She was heavily involved in her church and the local community. In fact, she had earned a lifetime achievement award from her town in honor and recognition of all the things she had done to improve the lives of other residents. It all began to change the moment she broke her hip, when she was 84 years old. After that, she required a regular caregiver and this affected her attitude.
She slowly began to slip into a state of depression. Waking up didn’t bring with it the kind of joy she had enjoyed most of her life. Throughout the majority of her life she would wake up and see the day bright with possibilities. She would look ahead to the late morning and early afternoon hours and imagine all of the things she would be able to do by that time. She would make sure everything she wanted to get done was completed by the time her husband returned home from work so she could sit down and enjoy a nice dinner with him every single day.
After he passed away seven years earlier, Roberta had a tendency to get involved in other activities to keep herself busy so she wouldn’t have to face the prospect of feeling so alone at home.
As the days rolled into weeks following her hip injury, she began to feel as though nothing really mattered anymore. She felt isolated and alone and that the community she had served so well all those years had turned its back on her.
The in-home care provider working with her was essentially only going through the motions of providing assistance. This caregiver didn’t seem to have much interest in learning about Roberta or helping her achieve her highest potential.
At some point, Roberta decided to change in-home care providers. The new caregiver was a younger woman who is enthusiastic and who had been directly impacted by some of the work Roberta did years earlier.
This caregiver sat down and talked to Roberta for many hours throughout the week. She asked her questions about her life, her children, dreams and hopes that she had through the years, and many of the things that she did, even most recently.
She then encouraged Roberta to pursue things that she still wanted to try.
By just listening and talking to an elderly patient, a caregiver can completely change their attitude from one of feeling depressed and lonely to ambitious and enthusiastic. October is National Depression Education and Awareness Month and when a person relies on an in-home care provider, the right caregiver can make all the difference in the world.