I’ve been blessed to work with the senior population since graduating from college. My first full-time employment was at a Senior Activity Center. I saw first-hand the bliss of aging and also the sadness of physical and mental deterioration. As a whole, the seniors that attended the Center came from different walks of life and were at different stages on their journey. Some were barely 55 years old, still employed and would come to take a line dancing class during their lunch break. Some were fully invested in the Senior Center and would spend 5-7 hours volunteering to teach classes, answer phones, hand out food, etc… Some just came to the Meals on Wheel congregate meal site for lunch and bingo. Whatever their involvement, I saw firsthand the impact physical decline had on attitude and emotion. For the most part, this was a place where people came AFTER a major life change (such as a temporary physical disability) occurred and they were already on the road to recovery. A lot of participants were encouraged by their doctors to attend fitness and wellness classes to continue their recovery and improve their health so that is how they became involved with the senior center. Through their physical setbacks, they came to find community and purpose at the senior center. A specific example…I taught an 8-week exercise class called Fit and Strong that was targeted at sedentary older adults with osteoarthritis. This program encompassed stretching, balance, aerobic and strengthening, exercises which gradually increase in frequency, duration, and intensity over time. The class drew in a few individuals who hadn’t exercised in over 20 years. They were weak in body and in spirit. They had let their physical bodies deteriorate to a point of pain and frustration. The first few weeks of the class, I spent more time coaching and encouraging them to stick with it and to believe that their health can improve, than they actually moved their bodies. One individual in particular didn’t see how she could ever get herself out of the “hole she dug” for herself.
I can compare that to someone who’s gone through a major surgery or a CVA/TBI. These diagnoses require constant energy and will power to push through. During the first few days I think our jobs as OT practitioners are to help the client see a way through the pain, and be a support for them. Our job is to help them see their lives past these hard days and find hope for the future yet walk beside them in the present.
With my work at a rehab facility and nursing care center, I’ve seen a fair share of long-term and short-term patients experiencing anxiety and depression while they stay at the facility. Some have trouble accepting their decreased independence, some are experiencing cognitive decline and are constantly disorientated to where they are, and some haven’t seen family or are saddened by their lack of support throughout this hard time in their lives. I can’t imagine how grueling it is to loose your independence, even for a short period of time. Most of the short-term rehab patients need assistance to move about the room and into the bathroom, to the dining hall, etc. For individuals who are used to taking care of themselves it must be grueling to accept full dependence on someone else, especially when they are used to doing things on their own time and not waiting for a call bell to be answered!
For the long-term resident’s, depression is a common denominator. No matter how wonderful the activities, staff and facility is…it isn’t their home. According to Dr. Nina Moadel a practicing psychiatrist in New York, “Because the signs of depression can mirror the signs of dementia, especially problems with focusing and concentrating, diagnosing depression in an older adult can be difficult.” To learn more about Depression in the Nursing home…click on the title of this blog for a link to a great video.
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