According to a report, about 80 to 90% of older adults living in long-term care have some form of mental disorder, with approximately 50% living with a diagnosis of depression. Due to such a widespread rate of prevalence, depression among older people has almost come to be accepted as an inevitable part of the aging process. Yet, as this research proves, depression isn’t a normal part of aging.
If you end up in a position at a long-term care facility after your Personal Support Worker training, you may need to provide support, care, and assistance to clients with depression. Read on to discover three tips for helping clients with depression.
1. Engage With Clients After Personal Support Worker Training
One of the clearest symptoms of depression is disengagement. People with depression often abruptly disengage from family and friends or from activities they once found pleasurable, such as eating or playing simple games with friends.
If you notice signs that suggest that your client isn’t taking pleasure in daily activities anymore, it’ll be up to you, after your Personal Support Worker training, to look for ways and techniques to help them engage with their lives and others again.
Remember to be patient and compassionate in your interactions with them. Have a sympathetic discussion with them about anything that may be bothering them in order to get them to open up. Let them know you are willing to hear anything they have to say without passing judgment.
2. Create a Support System
Loneliness makes depression worse. You could be assisting in no little way by simply giving your client as much of your time and attention as you possibly can. However, since you may find it difficult or impossible to be around them all the time, you may also consider creating a support system for them. Of course, this should be done with input from your client.
Together, develop a network of loved ones and friends who they like being around for support. Create a reliable schedule that connects them to these folks frequently. They might not have the drive to make these arrangements on their own, but with your assistance, they can begin to fight isolation and build stronger relationships.
If members of your client’s family or their friends are unavailable, you can encourage them to connect with other caregivers at the facility.
3. Prepare Meals With Them
Adults in care facilities struggling with depression often suffer a drastic loss of appetite. This can leave them constantly fatigued and suffering from poor health. Your Personal Support Worker courses will emphasize the value of proper nutrition for long-term care clients, because this knowledge is critical in your position.
You should do everything you can to ensure that they are receiving the right nutrition. Prepare quick meals and snacks with them that are calorie- and nutrition-dense so they can eat them even when they don’t feel like it. When you prepare meals with them, you’re ensuring proper nutrition for them, but more importantly, you’re also taking care of their need for companionship.
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