ORLANDO, Fla. – May is Mental Health Awareness Month and on Friday, Breakfast with Bridgett examined some of the issues facing seniors.
Bridgett talked to Right At Home President Nikki Magyar about common mental health issues seniors can face. She says seniors battle higher rates of loneliness and social isolation which can, in turn, be detrimental to their physical health. The CDC compares the detrimental effects of these issues to obesity and smoking, so it’s important for caregivers and loved ones to know what signs to look out for.
“Being isolated at home, it weakens your immune system, you’re not wanting to eat as much, feeling depressed, there’s different things that you’re really stemming into this routine of not being content with your daily routines and not wanting to get out there,” Magyar said. “You can do things like volunteer at schools, volunteer at senior centers, or get involved at senior centers in general. They’ve got lots of activities, lots of exercise programs. If you bring in someone like Right At Home, like an agency, they can help you with those routines as well and also be a great companion for you so they can help you get out and do some of those things that maybe you’re not as comfortable to do by yourself anymore.”
As seniors get older, it’s easy for them to get into a routine of staying withdrawn from others.
“They don’t use the phone as much. They don’t get out as much and those are just some signs of loneliness and isolation that we want to avoid,” Magyar said. “There are also times people will maybe not pay their bills or do simple tasks like taking out the trash and keeping up their hygiene, so with Right At Home, we help them stimulate their cognition, develop different routines in the home and also keep them staying in touch with their loved ones”
With technology help, Right at Home has ways to help seniors set up their iPad so they can FaceTime their loved ones or get on Facebook so they can see pictures as ways to stay in touch.
Watch the full interview at the top of this story.
For more information on Right at Home, click here.
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