Coping with COVID-19: Managing Stress and Anxiety

It’s hard to escape news updates about coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The constant headlines may make some people anxious. In particular, older adults, people with chronic health conditions, and caregivers are likely to be at higher risk for increased stress and anxiety, since they face a higher risk of illness if they contract the virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here’s what stress during an infectious disease outbreak can look like:

  • Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
  • Changes in sleeping or eating habits
  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
  • Worsening of chronic health problems
  • Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs

You may not be able to control the virus, but you can help control your emotional reaction to it. Here are some smart strategies from the CDC to help you manage your anxiety: Continue reading

12 Ways to Ease Isolation While You’re Practicing Social Distancing

To avoid the coronavirus, public health experts are advising people of all ages to stay home and practice social distancing as much as possible. This is particularly true for older adults and those with chronic medical conditions.

Those actions will go a long way to helping limit the spread of the virus and its impact on our health as well as on our health care systems, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But social distancing and staying home may put some at greater risk for the unintended consequence of social isolation, a health concern that can be avoided or reduced with proper, proactive steps.

According to the National Institute on Aging, social isolation and loneliness are linked to higher risks for a variety of health problems. These include high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.

“Social isolation is very harmful to your health and contributes to poor health outcomes, especially for older adults,” says Laurie Theeke, PhD, a nursing professor at West Virginia University and a nurse practitioner at WVU Medicine, in Morgantown, West Virginia.

These steps can help you stay connected with others and prevent loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading

Weighing Risks and Benefits of Drug Treatment for Major Depression

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Research Summary

Depression is a common and serious problem for older adults. Some 15 to 20 percent of people aged 65 and older who live independently deal with symptoms of major depressive disorder. For residents of nursing homes, the rates of depression may be as high as 50 percent.

For some people, medication is an effective part of treatment for depression. However, when considering whether to prescribe antidepressant medication for older adults, healthcare providers must weigh the safety risks these medications pose against the often modest benefits they can provide compared to other options.

For example, tools like the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults recommended that healthcare providers avoid prescribing certain antidepressant medications to older adults who have a history of falls or fractures. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). That’s because these medications may actually increase the risk of falls and fractures.

Understanding these and other risks associated with “potentially inappropriate medications” is key to building better care for us all as we age. That’s why a team of researchers recently reviewed and analyzed studies to learn more specifically about the harmful effects of antidepressants for treating major depressive disorder in adults 65 years of age or older. Their study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The systematic review was performed at the University of Connecticut Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC). The researchers reviewed studies that examined how many older adults experienced a harmful event during the study. Continue reading

Symptoms of Depression Linked to Problems Performing Regular Daily Activities for Older Japanese Adults

JAGS graphicJournal of the American Geriatrics Society Research Summary

Recently, researchers investigated whether depressive symptoms might make it harder for older adults to perform their regular daily activities. The researchers also wanted to find out whether living circumstances or marital status had any impact on whether depressive symptoms affected older adults’ abilities to perform daily activities.

Symptoms of depression are common among older adults. Signs of depressive symptoms include:

  • Loss of interest in self-care and/or following medical advice
  • Little interest in social activities
  • Feeling “empty” inside
  • Trouble sleeping and/or feeling anxious
  • Trouble concentrating or remembering things
  • Unexplained aches and pains
  • Change in appetite and weight
  • Feelings of helplessness
  • Feeling that one is a burden

The researchers examined information from 769 older adults who participated in the Kurabuchi Study starting in 2005. The study was designed to look at how well adults 65-years-old and older could perform their daily functions. The researchers published their study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Continue reading

Older Adults May Need Better Follow-up After Emergency Room Screenings for Suicide

JAGS graphicJournal of the American Geriatrics Society Research Summary

According to the World Health Organization, suicide rates for men over the age of 70 are higher than in any other group of people. In 2015, almost 8,000 older adults committed suicide in the U.S., and the proportion of suicides is higher among older adults than younger people. When older adults try to commit suicide, they are more likely to be successful compared to younger adults.  This is why suicide prevention strategies are especially important for older men and women.

Hospital emergency departments (EDs) are caring for an increasing number of people with mental health concerns, including thoughts or actions related to suicide attempts. For example, nearly half of the older adults who committed suicide had visited an ED in the year before their death. However, when healthcare providers see older adults in the ED, some may be too quick to assume that the warning signs for suicide are just a natural part of aging. As a result, many older adults may not get the help they need to address suicidal thoughts. These facts prompted a team of researchers to study older adults seen in EDs and the related risks for committing suicide. Their study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Continue reading