Communicating with Depressed Elderly Patients Essay

Communicating with Depressed Elderly Patients - Essay Example Because of these painful losses for the elderly, suicide rates among the aged were continuously increasing, but symptoms of depression are seldom recognized and treated in this vulnerable population. It could be then that out of ten older people only one receives treatment for their depression and the rest are ignored (Ainsworth, 2000, 37). According to the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study (ECA) funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) in the latter part of the 1980s, depressive indications take place in more or less 15 per cent of people over sixty five years of age. At the minimum, 3 per cent of older people endure severe depression, particularly those who live in nursing homes, where the incidences of depression are higher than the average 15 per cent (ibid, 37). Sadly, depressed elderly people spending the remaining days of their lives in nursing homes may appear to be whiners and be given no treatment for their miserable condition. Their depression are concealed since the actual nature of the sickness is masked behind a shroud of physical grumbles, or else the elderly person keeps away from interpreting the symptoms for anxiety of being called insane. Elderly patients generally endure mild memory lapses and dawdling mental activities, both circumstances resulting from physical causes. As soon as depression develops beyond this mild brain dysfunction, the outcome frequently appears to be an advanced case of dementia or â€Å"old-timer’s disease† (Cohen, 1990, 26), for which the mournful family believes there is no possibility to be treated. However, with proper diagnosis and therapeutic procedures for the treatment of serious depression, elderly patients often get rid of the symptoms of this pseudo-dementia and experience prog ress in both brain processes and quality of existence (ibid). For diverse causes, different cultures have begun to witness a remarkable boost in the need for family members to become concerned in

Autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Autobiography - Essay Example According to the Declaration of Independence, we can only pursue the happiness, we cannot attain it, and so we should consider happiness as the journey, not as a destination (Jefferson). This is the only way we can be happy, because we could enjoy it as a process. Life is like travelling through beautiful fields filled with greenery, but we are so worried about achieving material happiness and riches that we cannot dare to see around and praise the beauty of life. Same goes with this life, we keep on working for our future and keep on postponing our parties and vacations for more money. But at the end, we lose our energy and youth, therefore, rendered unable by our age and cannot be able to avail the happiness which life had to offer. The woman I mentioned in the previous paragraph is me. I spent a very painful life. When I was in the Navy, my male colleagues were always interested in taking advantage of me. But I kept dodging them over the span of my whole service tenure. Despite of the difficulties, I kept on moving forward and learnt how to deal with them eventually, by being reserved and indifferent to their issues all the time. In this way, I was able to keep them away. Finally, I got retired from the Forces after a long time. I returned home where I engaged myself into healthy activities of gardening and housekeeping. After some years from retirement, my son died and he left two children in my custody. Few days later, federal law enforcement officials came and took my grandchildren away from me. I got too frustrated. But I took a decision to take this matter to the court, where I successfully proved that I am in a good health and, therefore, able to take care of my children. Fortunately, court agreed and granted me the custody of the children. From that day on, I am proud of myself, because I was able to take a stand for my children. As I mentioned earlier, I had spent a very painful life; however, these grandchildren are rewards of those pains I suffered in my youth. I am happy seeing them grow, giggle and flourish in front of me. I really enjoy answering their innocent questions about life. I am training them to become strong-willed individuals. I let them take decisions by themselves, so that they learn to face the consequences of their decisions. In this way, they can build an experience about a real and nasty life which they have to face in very near future. Conclusion This paper highlights different facets of my life. My life gives a message of constant struggle in at least one part of everybody’s life, so that one can ripe their fruits later on. The hard work with persistence is a true way to success; an individual should follow his or her own way, because humans come in this world in their original form. They should depart from here in the same way. I stood up for my rights, fought for them and finally won against all the odds. I recommend courage, persistence and determination to all of those who are discouraged due to social pressures. All social systems are made by humans and we can change them. No system in this world is divine in nature, therefore, is subject to change. So, this paper recommends its readers to be original, moving, flexible, yet determined. Work Cited Jefferson, Thomas. Declaration of Independence. International Relations and Security Networks, 1945.