Loneliness can fuel depression in older adults, and experts estimate that as many as 10 million older Americans suffer from depression.
Now, a new study suggests information technology, specifically use of the Internet, among the elderly can reduce the chances of depression by more than 30 percent.
Researchers followed the lives of thousands of retired older Americans reviewing data collected by the Health and Retirement Survey — a survey collecting information from more than 22,000 older Americans every two years.
“The 30 percent reduction is a very strong effect,” said Shelia Cotten, Ph.D., a Michigan State University professor of telecommunication, information studies and media who led the project.
“And it all has to do with older persons being able to communicate, to stay in contact with their social networks, and just not feel lonely.”
To be responsible for meeting the physical and mental needs of another human being is a huge responsibility and a job we should value.
That’s why, this week, I am looking forward to work shadowing care workers at a nursing home to get a real hands-on insight into the work and also find out what the challenges faced are at the moment.
Carers need to feel that they are valued in what they do as being a good carer is a role that is not easy and requires much skill.
A carer’s work can be challenging so it is all the more important that they get a fair deal in their working conditions.
Losing interest in hobbies and other activities in older age could be an early sign of dementia, according to scientists.
Apathy in older people suggests a loss of grey matter and offers doctors a new tool with which to identify a group of the population at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
A study showed elderly people who are apathetic but not suffering depression have shrinking amounts of grey and white matter – neurons in the brain that control memory and communication respectively.
