Signs & Symptoms of Holiday Depression Among Seniors

For most of us, the holidays are a time for celebration; getting together with family and friends, entertaining, parties, shopping and enjoying the mood with high spirits and good will. But for many seniors, the holiday season is not a precursor of joy, but of deep sadness and loneliness.

Many seniors, whether living at home or in a long-term care facility may be prone to the ‘Holiday Blues’, but for others, the symptoms go way beyond feelings of blasé. For some, the holiday season is a time when many seniors fall prey to such overwhelming depression that it’s difficult to prevent a slide into total emotional isolation until eventually, quality of life is threatened.

For many seniors, the holidays bring back memories of better, happier times. Loss of a spouse or one friend after another takes their toll on survivors, and nostalgic memories of past holiday celebrations can lead to present cases of severe melancholy. Seniors also face fears that they can’t get around as easily as they once did, and travel becomes increasingly difficult and stressful. To their disappointment, they feel forced to remain homebound, missing out on festivities.

As the season grows cold and rain and snow blankets many states, seniors aren’t able to get out to shop, either for groceries or gifts for family. Making a trip to the post office to mail Christmas Greetings or gifts for relatives may appear overwhelming.

The American Geriatric Society’s Foundation for Health in Aging suggests that it’s up to caretakers and loved ones to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression. In many cases, residents of long-term care facilities may not have been present long enough for a professional caretaker to recognize or notice the subtle changes that occur as the holiday seasons approach. Family members are an important link in the care given to loved ones, and it’s up to them to alert staff of any unusual habits or behaviors developing in their relatives.

Some signs and symptoms of depression include, but are not limited to:

* Feeling ‘down’ or ‘blue’

* Change of appetite