Senior Care in Seneca SC
The Month of May is Mental Health month and there are organizations and affiliates across the country that have promoted the plan to educate the public about ways to deal with mental illness. The theme for 
Interested organizations can download the Mental Health month tool kit at the Mental Health America Website. Millions of people will attend special events and benefit from free screenings during the May festivities. There are many ways to help MHA and volunteer will be welcomed to assist local communities offer the help to the people who need it.
When it comes to seniors, there are four serious issues of mental health that are always confusing when trying to aid the elderly. There are four conditions that seem closely related but are the result of different conditions, some are curable, some are not.
- dementia – the persistent loss of intellectual and cognitive function, Alzheimer’s is only one type of dementia, the degeneration of mental functioning is progressive and permanent
- depression – deep loss of happiness and joy, the mood is sad, lack of interest in the things once enjoyed, weight loss, lack of activity, can often lead to suicide when untreated. The highest rate of suicide in the U.S. are elderly white men.
- delirium – different that other mental disorders because it has a rapid onset, fluctuation in its course, sometimes can be reversed if the root cause is resolved, and recovery can be successful.
- delusions – visual hallucinations combined with paranoid thoughts of betrayal and mistrust. Similar symptoms to dementia but delusions are curable, dementia is a permanent and untreatable condition of the brain.
The month of May has public events each year to open discussions surrounding mental health. This is an opportunity for bringing up concerns about struggles and difficulties a senior close to you may be having. This may be surprising, but the key factors in a senior’s health and mental decline is often isolation and loneliness. Seniors that have no children, or no family nearby, have less interaction with others. The longer seniors go without interaction, the more isolated and lonely they become. This is the first step to depression. Depressed elderly eat less, are less active, have less and less hygiene. Illness can invade a healthy senior through their lack of attention to the things that keep us well.
Social isolation will also lead to wrong thinking. If a person who is aging begins to feel the affects of one of the four “D’s”, dementia, depression, delirium, or delusions, there are no people around to keep the senior on the right track, see a physician, or provide assistance when they are having a bad day. If you are aware of seniors living alone in your neighborhood, make sure they have a connection to the services available to them.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring senior care services near Seneca, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116.
Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens,Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.
Source
1) http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may
2) http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/mental-health-screening-tools
3) http://www.wrightabshire.com/Publications-For-Sale/Houston-Chronicle/Recognize-the-Four-Ds-of-Mental-Illness-in-Seniors.shtml
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