As the holiday season quickly approaches, garland and tinsel temporarily adorning most homes, you may feel more cheerful than you have all year. We often gather with family and friends, eating, chatting, reminiscing of the past, and what our future entails. Spreading love, kindness, and cheer by giving gifts or making holiday cookies. However, there are some, specifically older adults, that have a more difficult time getting into the holiday spirit.
For many seniors, the holiday season may have a new meaning. Instead of setting out cookies and milk for Santa, or traveling to long-distance relative’s homes, the absence of these traditions may leave the holiday season seeming like a thing of the past.
Some factors that may contribute to holiday depression among the elderly include:
- Absence of parents, siblings, friends, and children (feeling alone)
- Separation from loved ones
- Financial limitations
- Loss of independence
- Loss of mobility
- Failing eyesight (lessening the ability to read/write holiday correspondence)
- Medical diagnosis
These changes may result in feeling subdued or sad, which is a normal reaction to facing change and generally temporary, the person eventually returning to their normal mood state, but a case of long-term blues is not a natural part of aging. When these feelings begin interfering with functioning in everyday life, it is considered depression.
Doug Gregory, the Bereavement Coordinator for Sprenger Health Care’s WellSpring Hospice says, “The American Association of Geriatrics Psychiatry, (AAGP) indicates that over 30% of nursing home residents may experience depression which can be exasperated during the holidays due to several factors. Caregivers and facility staff should be aware of changes in behavior and mood with residents.”
Some signs of depression in older individuals may include:
- Questioning the value of life
- Diminished self-esteem
- Excessive feelings of guilt
- Reduced appetite
- Lethargy/lack of energy
- Persistent sadness
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Unusual fidgeting
- Staring off into space (or at the television) for prolonged periods of time
Depression is a medical illness that should be diagnosed and treated by trained professionals. Left untreated, depression may last months or even years.
Gregory also offered a handful of tips in dealing with seasonal depression, saying, “Some preventative measures to consider are: referrals for counseling and psychiatry, bringing in service animals, children’s choirs, and other special activities during high-risk seasons, collecting old holiday cards and decorations to hang on resident’s doors and in their rooms, encouraging family members to purchase scenic window film coverings for the resident’s room, and simply taking time to just sit or talk with these residents. It is essential to differentiate between normal sadness and clinical depression, which requires treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling, professional support can make a significant difference.”
Other things that may help a person with a case of the holiday blues:
- Find ways to include elderly family members/friends in holiday preparation.
- Help with specific tasks.
- Help wrap holiday gifts
- Create crafts to decorate with or give as a gift
- Create or have them walk you through a favorite holiday recipe
- Help fill out and send holiday cards
- If you can’t visit, call.
- Stay busy.
- Facility activities and events
- Make new traditions.
Depression may go past just during the holiday season. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and goes away during the spring and summer. A sad mood is linked to lack of sunlight during the winter months due to shorter days.
It is important to note that depressive and suicidal thoughts or actions should never be ignored. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, please take action by calling your doctor, 911, visiting the nearest emergency room, or contacting nursing or therapy staff.
Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255); TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.