One of the most significant breakthroughs in modern medicine is recognizing the impact of mental health on an individual’s overall well-being. It influences how you think, act, and feel and decides behavioral patterns in every situation.
On a much broader scale, mental health illnesses also increase the risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or stroke. And while anyone, regardless of age, can acquire these health issues, the chance of occurrence increases in older adults.
In fact, according to the Pan American Health Organization, one in every four elderly individuals experiences a mental disorder.
Most commonly, these include depression, anxiety, or dementia and can manifest due to loneliness, feelings of inadequacy, or loss of independence.
Moreover, thanks to today’s medical advancements, more people are living up to an old age. However, this also means a greater population is becoming prone to acquiring mental health illnesses.
Therefore, as nurses looking after senior citizens, it falls on your shoulders to be mindful of your patient’s psychological and physical well-being.
Fortunately, there are several ways you can help promote mental health among senior adults, and here are the seven most effective ones.
1. Increase your knowledge
As the primary source of contact with the patient, a well-informed nursing staff can make significant differences in implementing interventions and addressing a patient’s needs.
Therefore, with new medical discoveries and knowledge coming to light daily, nurses must keep updated with all the latest information.
Enhanced knowledge allows you to recognize early mental health issues among senior adults. The quicker you identify an underlying cause, the better your chances of making a timely intervention and preventing these conditions from exacerbating.
Furthermore, advanced degrees like an RN to BSN program are particularly helpful in learning new concepts and developing skills to overcome rising challenges in healthcare.
Besides providing excellent strategies to help older patients, these programs can also fast-track your path toward nursing leadership roles.
2. Provide creative outlets
Creative activities or arts and crafts offer an excellent self-expression, fun, and engagement platform. Staying busy with such activities contributes to overall well-being and improves mental health.
For example, art, writing, music, or dance allow senior adults to tap into their innate creativity and fulfill their desire to do something they enjoy. These outlets provide avenues for self-discovery and a sense of accomplishment, boosting self-esteem and promoting a positive self-image.
Additionally, engaging in creative activities also stimulates various parts of the brain, increasing cognitive function and mental agility. This approach can counter underlying cognitive decline and improve the overall mental health of a senior adult.
3. Engage them in light exercises.
It’s impossible to overstate the impact exercise can have on an individual’s mental health. Regular physical exertion causes the brain to release “feel good” chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins that significantly help elevate mood.
Since senior adults usually stay in one place, they barely get any exercise done. But as their nurse, you can teach them to engage in a few low-impact, light exercises that keep their muscles moving and stimulate the brain.
For patients with limited mobility, you might have to improvise your strategies for exercise. These include water aerobics, chair-leg extensions, cycling, or walking.
4. Organize social activities
Feeling lonely or isolated is common among senior adults, and these are often the primary causes of mental health conditions. Therefore, another effective way to promote positive mental health among this demographic of patients is to organize social activities for them.
This approach creates opportunities for these adults to engage with their peers and accompany each other in old age. It also enhances their ability to connect and help alleviate depressive tendencies.
If you work in a nursing home, you can organize regular game nights or other social activities that unite everyone. Similarly, if you provide at-home care to a single individual, you can connect them with similar patients in a close radius to help create friendships, acquaintances, and camaraderie.
5. Establish a routine
Routines play a crucial role in ensuring the overall well-being of senior adults. Any disturbance from an everyday lifestyle, no matter how minor, can have devastating consequences.
Since older individuals usually have very little control over their lives, they at least want to be able to predict or prepare for the tasks they have set. Predictable routines provide stability and purpose and prevent individuals from experiencing debilitating mental health conditions.
To establish an effective routine, you must first identify all your patient’s daily activities. You must then align them in the relevant order to regularize their physical and psychological health.
6. Validate their feelings
Another effective way to enhance mental health among your senior adult patients is to validate their feelings and acknowledge their emotions. This approach fosters understanding and trust, making patients feel heard and appreciated.
It’s also vital to avoid judgments or dismissing emotions you may find invalid or unessential since this can close off the patient to you.
Furthermore, you can ask open-ended questions about your patient’s past experiences, interests, or memories. By demonstrating a genuine interest in what they say, you’re more likely to get these elderly patients to cooperate with the care and treatment you provide them.
This strategy also allows you to identify any underlying concerns or early signs of mental health conditions, allowing you to schedule the necessary counseling or therapy. This is easier to do if you have easy access to local mental health experts who can provide the necessary support. So whether that’s booking an appointment with a licensed therapist located in California or anywhere else, being up to date with top practitioners near your senior patients will work wonders.
7. Give Independence
The loss of freedom, not having the liberty to make decisions, and the inability to do as they please take a heavy toll on senior patients. Once they lose their independence, their mental health quickly spirals down, and failure to intervene at the right time may cause irreversible damage.
However, nurses can help maintain a sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency by empowering these individuals and letting them do ordinary tasks or responsibilities.
The first step is to assess the capabilities and limitations of every senior adult under your care. This way, you can designate specific responsibilities tailored to a particular individual’s needs while ensuring their safety.
Activities like grooming, meal preparation, or simple gardening tasks can bolster their self-esteem and make them feel needed around the house.
Conclusion
Dealing with elderly patients is not an easy task. Besides deteriorating physical health, their mental health often also takes a terrible hit, making them irritable, frustrated, and angry.
And while family members can only help up to a certain point, a nurse can make the most difference and help these patients preserve their mental health.
The best way to promote positive mental health can vary depending on everyone’s needs and preferences. But this guide above offers some of the most effective strategies in ensuring your patient stays healthy—mentally and physically.