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They say that with age comes wisdom, and for some, that may be true. But with age also comes some very big challenges. In addition to dealing with the onset of disease and physical disabilities, older people must face loss: the loss of a spouse, loss of friends, loss of siblings, and even the loss […]
They say that with age comes wisdom, and for some, that may be true. But with age also comes some very big challenges. In addition to dealing with the onset of disease and physical disabilities, older people must face loss: the loss of a spouse, loss of friends, loss of siblings, and even the loss of memories.
“Getting old is not for sissies.” – Bette Davis
When you consider all of this loss, it’s not surprising that aging and depression often go hand-in-hand. While feeling sadness over these losses is a normal part of life, some people experience profound depression.
But, if earlier in your life you never really experienced depression, how do you know the difference between it and sadness? Here are some signs of depression:
At some time in our lives, most of us have experienced one or two of these symptoms. But when you experience more than one or two at a time, and these feelings linger and deepen, that is a clear indicator of depression.
Beating Depression Will Require Trust
When someone who has faced so much loss becomes depressed, what can they do to feel better? The answer to that question is to seek the help of a therapist who can help you navigate your emotions, offer tools for mood management and even prescribe medications if they feel it will help.
But there lies the conundrum.
Those suffering from depression often feel helpless, that is to say, they feel they are beyond being helped. When a person feels that no one and nothing can help them, they will not seek help and refuse it when it is offered. In fact, some depressed people even become angered when loved ones try to help.
This is when trust becomes a vital component to getting well. Older people have spent a lifetime forming relationships with family and friends. They know the connection and love is genuine. Therefor they must trust that when a loved one comes to them and says, “I love you and I’m concerned. I think you’re depressed and you need some help…” they recognize they are coming from a loving place and trust they want what’s best for them.
If you yourself have tried to help an older loved one but they refuse to listen, consider having someone else they might trust even more speak with them. This could be an old colleague, their doctor, or your local pastor. And sometimes you may just have to get a group together and have an intervention.
If you or a loved one is suffering from depression, you can feel better. You can remember that life is worth living, even while feeling so much pain and sorrow. If you would like to explore treatment options, please contact me. I would be happy to speak with you about how I may help.
Most of us, when we were growing up, had hobbies. Some of us collected stamps or coins, others rode horses, and still others liked to draw or bake. But then we grew up and our world became filled with work and family responsibilities, and we had little time to do the things we once loved. […]
Most of us, when we were growing up, had hobbies. Some of us collected stamps or coins, others rode horses, and still others liked to draw or bake. But then we grew up and our world became filled with work and family responsibilities, and we had little time to do the things we once loved.
And that’s too bad, because hobbies are essentially a way for us to play as adult. We don’t pursue needlepoint to become famous or to make millions of dollars (if only!), we partake in hobbies for the pure pleasurethey bring to us.
Happiness isn’t just nice to feel, happiness actually makes us healthier and live longer! A study found that older people who are happy have a 35% lower risk of dying over a five-year period than unhappy people. The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
But I’m Too Old to Pick Up a Hobby
Rubbish.
Did you know that Winston Churchill didn’t start painting until he was in his middle years? He absolutely fell in love with it. In a small book called Painting as a Pastime, he wrote:
“… There is no subject on which I feel more humble or yet at the same time more natural. I do not presume to explain how to paint, but only how to get enjoyment.” [and then later in the book] “We cannot aspire to masterpieces. We may content ourselves with a joy ride in a paint-box…”
Whether it’s painting, ceramics, photography, Italian cooking, writing poetry, or scrapbooking – or something else entirely – pick something you’ve always wanted to do and just try it.
Getting Started
Okay, let’s set you out on your new journey of growth, discovery, and joy! Here are some steps you can take to get started.
1. Brainstorm – If you aren’t exactly sure what kind of hobby you would enjoy, spend some time making a list of things you have enjoyed in the past. Maybe you like music or you’ve always liked being outdoors.
2. Research – To narrow your list, do some research on things like cost and time needed for these hobbies. This is good to know before you dive in.
3. Don’t listen to others – Don’t listen to anyone who tells you you’re foolish for wanting to learn to Salsa dance or kayak “at your age.” These people are to be pitied, not listened to.
4. Be honest with yourself – Maybe you’ll love the hobby you choose and maybe you’ll want to try something else. The idea here is to play and explore yourself.
It is never to old to begin a new journey. I wish you an exciting one!
Deciding when to move to a senior living community or to transition a loved one to a community is a very difficult decision. How do you know when the time is right? Owner, Amanda LaRose, LCSW, C-ASWCM, was interviewed by Peggy Breda owner of A Family Tie, and Toni Reinhart owner of Positive Dementia Care […]
Deciding when to move to a senior living community or to transition a loved one to a community is a very difficult decision. How do you know when the time is right? Owner, Amanda LaRose, LCSW, C-ASWCM, was interviewed by Peggy Breda owner of A Family Tie, and Toni Reinhart owner of Positive Dementia Care Training, on the topic of what to look for when you are trying to decide if it is time to move yourself or a loved one to a community. Download the interview here When to Move-Interview.
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I have been using my essential oils more at home in my personal life, but also in my office with patients and realized I have not shared with our community how helpful they can be! Essential oils help support the microsystems of the body and provide rapid and sustained improvement for people in regards to […]
I have been using my essential oils more at home in my personal life, but also in my office with patients and realized I have not shared with our community how helpful they can be! Essential oils help support the microsystems of the body and provide rapid and sustained improvement for people in regards to their overall well-being. Whether emotionally or physically essential oils can help in many ways and there is an abundance of research backing it up. The fields of psychology and biology show that the smell of aromas hit the receptors of the brain and triggers certain emotions, memories, and actual changes in the body. This video shares more about the specifics about how essential oils can help individuals and families lead a more well-balanced life. It even discusses the benefits for elders and how a simple hand massage with lavender oil can decrease anxiety and agitation. At the same time it helps lessen the stress of caregivers. Please check out this video and let me know if you have any questions. – Amanda LaRose, Owner
Alicea Ardito, a Therapist with We Care Management, is a Licensed Master of Social Work and a certified Aging Life Care Manager. She is currently a Supervisee in Social Work working toward clinical licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has been working with older adults for more than ten years with clinical focus on […]
Alicea Ardito, a Therapist with We Care Management, is a Licensed Master of Social Work and a certified Aging Life Care Manager. She is currently a Supervisee in Social Work working toward clinical licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
She has been working with older adults for more than ten years with clinical focus on depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and physical and emotional pain. Her background includes working with a community mental health team serving older adults with severe mental illness, coordinating social services in assisted living and long term care settings, with hospice, and as a geriatric care manager. She is passionate about educating others on aging well, and can provide expert advice on resources available to older adults and how to navigate the complex web of care options.
In addition to older adults, Alicea provides psychotherapy and counseling to adults of all ages. She is a firm believer in holistic, comprehensive care. She has completed mastery training in hypnotherapy and can provide clients with brief hypnotic psychotherapy to enhance healing and therapeutic process. Alicea specializes in utilizing hypnotherapy with clients for cessation of negative behaviors, facilitating positive change, weight loss, anxiety/phobias, and for non-pharmaceutical management of pain.
Alicea’s commitment is to provide supportive, empathic and client-centered care to her clients.
As people age they often acquire difficulties with their health and daily functioning and therefore have more stress and more things to “manage”. It can become a full-time job taking care of one’s life as they navigate through the aging process, whether it is the individual themselves managing everything or a family member or friend. […]
As people age they often acquire difficulties with their health and daily functioning and therefore have more stress and more things to “manage”. It can become a full-time job taking care of one’s life as they navigate through the aging process, whether it is the individual themselves managing everything or a family member or friend. We often see these circumstanced lead to increased frustration, worry, sadness, and a loss of the ability to have enough time to take part in enjoyable activities. Because there are multiple health issues to deal with and therefore many appointments, in addition to all of the other daily life tasks, people can become overwhelmed and sometimes forget appointments or plan for them on the wrong day. If you or someone you know is experiencing something similar to this, we encourage you to ask for help in managing some of this, so you and your loved ones can still have time and energy for enjoyable activities in your day to day lives!
People can get confused with all the terms used for illnesses these days. For example, in eldercare I often here people say “I don’t have Dementia, I have Alzheimer’s Disease,” or “I would rather have Dementia than Alzheimer’s Disease.” Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to explain the terms, along with some other ideas […]
People can get confused with all the terms used for illnesses these days. For example, in eldercare I often here people say “I don’t have Dementia, I have Alzheimer’s Disease,” or “I would rather have Dementia than Alzheimer’s Disease.” Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to explain the terms, along with some other ideas to think about. Dementia is the general term used for many types of irreversible cognitive impairment . Alzheimer’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, and Parkinson’s Disease, to name a few, are subtypes of Dementia. Even if someone has Dementia, they are still the person they were years ago, but at times it is hard to see them in this way. This is when people may tend to care for the individual rather then support and empower them to modify the ways they do things. For example, if someone who is experiencing short-term memory loss is having a difficult time remembering a word, we are quick to tell them the word so they don’t feel embarrassed, frustrated, or uncomfortable. I am not saying that is the wrong thing to do, but try to give them some time and then read their cues. They may try to figure out the word, they may move on and brush over it, or they may look in your direction or even ask for the word. If the latter happens, by all means, tell them the word. Just try to always remember the old age, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”
We often hear people comment about how fraility, pain, memory problems, sleep problems, loneliness, lack of appetite, etc. are a normal part of aging. These ideas and comments are common in our society, but they must be changed! Ideas and comments such as these have the potential to create a mindset that an elder should […]
We often hear people comment about how fraility, pain, memory problems, sleep problems, loneliness, lack of appetite, etc. are a normal part of aging. These ideas and comments are common in our society, but they must be changed! Ideas and comments such as these have the potential to create a mindset that an elder should tolerate these difficulties and learn to live with them. I am here to tell you that nothing about those difficulties are normal and there are many things that can be done to alleviate some of the effects. In our era, there are many resources in eldercare, but it can be difficult to know what resources are best for each individual, when to implement the resources, and how to support the elder in accepting the resource. Let us help you with these obstacle!
Why did our Owner, Amanda, start a business in eldercare? Amanda is fortunate to have relationships with her grandparents that last into adulthood. Because of this, she has learned how to engage with elders, how much one can learn from them, how difficult life can be but how people find a way to overcome those […]
Why did our Owner, Amanda, start a business in eldercare? Amanda is fortunate to have relationships with her grandparents that last into adulthood. Because of this, she has learned how to engage with elders, how much one can learn from them, how difficult life can be but how people find a way to overcome those difficulties, and how important the little things are in life. Amanda started working in Nursing Homes in High School. She is passionate about supporting elders in leading a well-balanced and fulfilling last phase of their life. As a Social Worker, she has learned that understanding who the elder is, and how they became who they are, is an imperative part of the Care Management process. She tells many people how her work is such an honor, because having someone trust you enough for them to tell you their most meaningful and personal stories is simply touching. Moving from the DC Area to Loudoun County, Amanda saw a great need for elder support services. Her expertise is in Counseling and Care Management. All of these reasons, and more, are why she created We Care Management, LLC.
We provide support to a lot of new clients needing help urgently, as a result of not planning ahead for certain things. A major obstacle that we help our clients with is accounting issues. Individuals who do not have children, run into the most complications. Even though everyone hopes they keep their memory during the […]
We provide support to a lot of new clients needing help urgently, as a result of not planning ahead for certain things. A major obstacle that we help our clients with is accounting issues. Individuals who do not have children, run into the most complications. Even though everyone hopes they keep their memory during the aging process, cognitive impairment somehow sneaks up on some. If this individual has no children, they may have no one to notice signs of forgetfullness before it starts impairing their life significantly. One day, various businesses hired by this individual start realizing that this client is not keeping up with their payments for their car, their housing, etc. They contact the client and they are forgetful and confused. Now what? Sometimes, it is too late and the government is notified. The client then has to go through the courts in order to obtain a Guardian to assist them. However, being proactive and having a team available for the “what ifs” during the aging process is the best way to mitigate these occurences. For example, in this scenario a Care Manager, Accountant, and Power of Attorney would be a great team of support.
