Seniors, Depression & Harm Accessibility

 

In our minds, it is a very scary circumstance when someone suffering from severe depression or dementia has access to a weapon. If suicidal thoughts were to enter the equation, then having a nearby gun could be extremely dangerous to their well being. And it’s worth noting that seniors may be especially vulnerable to this type of scenario, as referenced in a new article on The Fix website.

 

According to stats they published from The Annals of Internal Medicine, as many as 16 percent of senior Americans with symptoms of mental illness have guns in their home. Couple that with the fact that men aged 65 and above have the greatest U.S. rate of suicide (particularly from firearms) and you can see the dark direction of these situations.

 

In the dementia scenario, things can take an even more dangerous turn. Confused older Americans may accidentally turn the gun on a spouse or a family member in the home who they may no longer recall. It’s a more common issue than you may think, with more than 100 cases per year of people with dementia injuring themselves or others with a gun.

 

The Internal Medicine study cited all of these risks, believing that this issue deserves national attention. Co-author Ali Rowhani-Rahbar was quoted in the article, emphasizing that firearms safety is essential for people suffering from these types of diagnoses.

 

“If we were doing a good job in promoting gun safety, you would expect that the prevalence of living in a home with a gun or unsafe storage would be lower when somebody’s experiencing dementia or suicide risk factors, right?” he explained in the article. “But the lack of any difference indicates that many of the guidelines or recommendations so far have fallen short and we need to be much more active about promoting firearms safety.”

 

We understand that gun control is a very delicate topic in this country. But wherever your leanings may lie, there is no denying that people with dementia or severe depression could pose a big risk if they have regular weapon access.

 

Particularly in the case of afflicted seniors, having close family members monitor and properly store firearms is essential. And in both cases, getting older Americans into proper treatment programs can make a world of difference as well.

 

For depression and suicidal thoughts, we highly recommend getting in touch with our trained professionals. Choosing to live isolated and armed is simply not the proper solution.

 

Understanding Caregiver Grief

Usually we associate grief with the death of a loved one. But one area that often gets overlooked is the sadness and depression that can be associated with caregiving. Sure a parent or spouse may physically be here with us, but if they begin struggling with issues like Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia those same feelings of loss can easily arise.

Florida outlet The Coastal Breeze News offered an interesting snapshot into just how difficult roles like this can be (which makes sense, since that state has such a large population of seniors). With a particular focus on dementia, Breeze writer Shirley Woolaway shared stats and tips for people who are watching their loved ones slip away.

The piece also included info from the Family Caregiver Alliance, which highlighted that the loved ones of those struggling with dementia often experience sadness, depression, anger, guilt, sleeplessness and a multitude of other physical ailments.

“It is important to identify our losses, identify our feelings, and let ourselves grieve the changes that have happened in our lives,” an Alliance rep told the site. “If we can do this, our feelings will less often erupt as angry outbursts…instead they can more easily be expressed as a shared loss of something treasured which family and friends can likely sympathize with leading to deeper communication and stronger relationships with those going through the loss with you.”

We all know how devastating a diagnosis like Alzheimer’s or dementia can be. In truth, the family member you once knew may quickly transform into somebody entirely different. The physical being will still be present, but the conversations and personality you remember will ultimately fade away.

The Alliance addressed this issue too. “When caring for someone over time, we may start to grieve that person long before he dies; we grieve the loss of the person’s former self,” the rep concluded. “Experiencing loss on a daily basis can be just as painful as the loss associated with a death. We may ‘wish it were over,’ or think of our loved one as already gone,’ but are assured these feelings are normal. What anticipatory grief does is prepare us for the inevitable, allow us to make end of life plans, and experience the pain in stages. It may or may not lessen one’s grief when the person dies.”

Suggestions for dealing with these feelings include journaling, physical outlets (such as exercising) and attending support groups. The latter happens to be where inneractions can come in and offer assistance. Grief happens to be one of the larger focal points of our outpatient program, with an emphasis on loss and the stresses of letting go of a family member. If this is an issue that you or someone you know is struggling with, contact our offices today.