Grandma Li, 67, was a middle school teacher before retiring, and half a year ago she gradually developed symptoms such as depression, insomnia, decreased appetite, and physical discomfort. She did not want to go out to meet people, often saying that she was useless and dragging down her family, and it was not interesting to live. The family quickly took Grandma Li to the doctor, and the doctor diagnosed her with senile depression.
Senile depression refers to depression that occurs in older people over the age of 60. Patients like Grandma Li are not uncommon in psychiatric clinics and wards. For such patients, family members should understand the characteristics of the disease and master the correct care methods to help patients maximize social functioning and improve quality of life.
01 There are three characteristics of senile depression
High risk of suicide Older patients with depression have a significantly higher risk of suicide than other age groups. Once the elderly patients are determined to commit suicide, they are often more determined and more hidden than the young adults. Patients deny themselves in a depressed state of mind, often recall unpleasant past events, painful associations increase, inferiority concepts are prominent, self-evaluation declines, uselessness, helplessness is strong, enthusiasm for life is lost, pessimism and despair, resulting in suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Cognitive and thinking disorders Most elderly patients with depression will have different degrees of cognitive dysfunction, mainly manifested as memory loss, impaired executive function, judgment impairment, language disorder or poverty, time concept disorder, hesitation, difficulty concentrating, as well as slow thinking, slow movement, slow response, etc., and even accompanied by pseudo-dementia, such as patients can not calculate simple addition and subtraction. Patients are sensitive and suspicious, and are prone to problems such as implicated concepts, suspicious concepts, and relationship delusions.
Often accompanied by physical discomfort, the disease has a tendency to transform emotional symptoms into somatic symptoms, patients often pay excessive attention to the body, often feel general malaise, such as abdominal distension, abdominal pain, nausea, belching, diarrhea or constipation in the digestive system, etc.; chest tightness, palpitations, etc. in the cardiovascular system; autonomic nervous system dysfunction, such as blushing, hot flashes, sweating, hand shaking, etc.
02 Three things to remember for home care
Preventing accidents Due to the high risk of suicide in elderly depressed patients, family members should closely observe the condition and take the prevention of accidents and the safety of patients as the focus of home care. Usually pay attention to the patient's psychological state, and observe whether the symptoms are reduced or aggravated. The negative words and deeds of patients should be paid enough attention, and all tools and drugs that may become self-harm of patients should be regarded as dangerous goods and properly stored. If there are adverse drug reactions or symptom improvement is not obvious during the treatment process, the patient should be taken to the hospital for follow-up consultation in time.
Supervision and regulation of medication Standardized medication is a key factor in achieving good treatment results for elderly depression. Family members should strictly supervise patients to take medicine systematically and regularly, help patients keep drugs, take the initiative to communicate with them about their feelings after taking drugs, and check their mouths after administration to prevent tibetan medicines. Closely observe the effect of medication and adverse reactions, timely feedback to the doctor, can not arbitrarily increase or decrease drugs or stop taking drugs. Adjustment of the drug should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. Family members should do a good job of patient explanation, eliminate their nervousness and anxiety, and improve medication compliance.
Doing a good job of psychological care The companionship and care of family members is very important for the rehabilitation of elderly depressed patients. Family members should strengthen their family affection and care for patients, communicate more often, patiently listen to their inner feelings, and encourage them to express their true thoughts and physical discomfort. Care is taken to protect the patient's self-esteem so that they feel respected and have independent personal dignity. Pay attention to the patient's loneliness, emptiness, loss and other bad emotions, and carry out psychological counseling in a timely manner. Guide them to objectively analyze the causes of unpleasant things, do not have to blame themselves excessively, feel guilty, reasonably vent bad emotions, and avoid daily high tension and anxiety. Cultivate suitable hobbies and interests, exercise appropriately, alleviate depression, and promote disease recovery.
Text: Zhengzhou Eighth People's Hospital Wang Yuling
Editor: Guan Zhongyao, Liu Yang
Review: Xu Bingnan Yan Gong