Improving Mental Health in the Elderly - Unlimited Care Cottages

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Improving Mental Health in the Elderly

Senior mental health is a serious concern that requires significant attention to avoid health complications in the elderly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20 percent of Americans aged 55 and above suffer from mental health problems. So, it’s essential to improve mental health in the elderly.

The common mental health issues that can pose significant risks to a senior’s overall health are anxiety and depression. The good news is that there are many ways to boost senior mental health. Let’s look closer at several ways to improve senior mental health.

Anxiety and depression are all too common mental illnesses in seniors. Here are some of the best ways to improve senior mental health. #UnlimitedCareCottages #mentalhealth Click To Tweet

A Healthy Social Life

A socially active senior can live a healthy life. That’s why it’s essential to keep seniors in touch with important individuals in their lives. It helps to reduce the feeling of loneliness that can cause depression and anxiety.

Another way to improve the seniors’ social life is by teaching them how to connect with old friends on Skype and social media platforms. They can also visit community centers that offer classes or groups that engage seniors.

Physical Activities

Performing some physical activities is one of the most effective ways to boost mental health. You can advise your senior to do regular physical exercises, like taking a walk, attending yoga classes, and ballroom dancing.

Physical activities are ideal for both the body and mind and can improve a senior’s confidence and mental health. Besides, regular exercises can mitigate the risks of developing age-related problems like joint pains.

Pro Tip: Gardening is an excellent hobby for seniors to adopt, since it offers the chance to get in some physical activity with less risk of overexertion.

Discovering New Passions

It’s essential to stay active always, even at old age. The best way to achieve that is by discovering a new hobby that can keep you lively. Notably, most seniors tend to change hobbies when they retire to do what they love.

Some of the everyday activities that can keep most seniors happy include gardening, painting, cooking, and sewing. Also, try to figure out new passions that can improve the seniors’ brain function, such as playing games.

Encouraging Senior Mental Health

You can improve senior mental health by enhancing the seniors’ social life, discovering new passions, and encouraging them to perform physical exercises. Most importantly, you should make them feel loved. If your seniors are at care cottages, you can occasionally visit them, or video-call them for a chat.

Contact us to learn more about improving senior mental health.

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