Mental Health Challenges Among Older People Discussion

Discussion

The population throughout the globe has been aging at a rapid pace. According to World Health Organisation, the proportion of the total population of the world among the year 2015 to 2050 expected to double up to 22% specification over 55-60 years old (Lee et al., 2020). Elderly population about the age of 55 and 60 years contributes significantly to the society as the volunteer and member being the active participants within the work force. Recent outbreak of pandemic highlighted numerous elderly populations to be at the risk of developing serious mental disorders as well as neurological health challenges. Mental health and overall well-being are a significant factor for the elderly population (García-Fernández et al., 2020). Mental health challenges are majorly under identified by the healthcare professionals and elderly individuals by themselves specifically due to lack of awareness and other physical challenges like mobility issues and social isolation. This essay will address the rising challenge of mental Health challenges among older people by discussing the impact of covid-19 over the identification and reporting followed by treatment of the elderly population mental illness by healthcare professionals Mental Health Challenges Among Older People Discussion.

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Approximately half of the Australian population suffers from mental illness that at a certain point in their lives. That population of elderly persons suffering from mental disease would rise as that of the population ages. Mental health care for the elderly is an important and expanding industry in Australia and a source of worry that necessitates national action.  People with personality disorders have a tougher time finding and keeping their individual house than the normal community, as per the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Girdhar et al., 2020). For something like a variety of reasons, the circumstances for those approaching retirement age would become more problematic.

  • If an elderly caretaker dies or becomes incapacitated, they may necessitate subsidized housing.
  • Several older adults without psychological disorders did not purchase their personal home or even have sufficient superannuation to get acceptable accommodation leading to a shortage of working in their younger years and living on a retirement.
  • This subpopulation might encounter the symptoms of ageing earlier than just the overall population, necessitating supported housing at a relatively young age (Javed et al., 2020)Mental Health Challenges Among Older People Discussion.
  • In financing supplements on care for the elderly, especially complicated care requirements of older individuals suffering with mental illness often frequently overlooked. This might lead to a lack of facilities, such as personnel, transportation, and continual training and certification.

Pension-level Supported Residential Services (SRS) providing lodging for persons who are no permanently able to be independent, who may not be qualified for an aged care evaluation, and who may have limited assistance. Boarding homes and dormitories, on the other hand, give a room with all of the necessary amenities (Grolli et al., 2021). Following the end of long-term institutionalised care, SRS, dormitories, and boarding homes have traditionally given housing to a considerable group of participants suffering from mental illnesses. Such services are available on the really low resources leading to a shortage of government funding. Despite the fact that they will be not classified as high-care institutions, they frequently give care to persons with severe long term health requirements (Banerjee, 2020).

Impact Of Covid-19 On Identification

Although social isolation is not even an unavoidable feature of ageing, it is much more probable to afflict elderly people suffering from mental illnesses as a result of sorrow, disease, especially economic stress.

Leading to a shortage of alternatives promoting community outreach, older persons with mental illnesses will be much more likely to engage in social solitude. Additionally, these subgroups might well have health concerns or physical challenges that restrict them from participating (Philip & Cherian, 2020)Mental Health Challenges Among Older People Discussion. Any neighbourhood solution to avoid feelings of isolation must include aggressive communication methods.

When the coronavirus ailment 2019 (COVID-19) expanded throughout early 2020, older individuals suffered hugely disproportionate more negative consequences, along with more serious complications, higher death rates, worries regarding interruptions to there own normal habits as well as accessibility of services, complexity having to adapt to technology solutions the same as remote patient monitoring, and fears that isolation would cause additional psychological disorders (Tsamakis et al., 2021). Although older persons had reduced stress responses as well as, in average, greater emotional control and well-being then youthful adults, there has been fear about a mental health crisis among some of the elderly due to the breadth and severity of the epidemic. This was a problem for elderly people at home and also in domestic care facilities, when communication with neighbors, relatives, and carers was restricted.

Numerous studies conducted about 8 months into the epidemic have found the older adults are significantly more affected by mental health outcomes than some other age categories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a survey on August 2020 which found that those aged 65 and up had substantially higher rates of social anxiety (6.2%), clinical depression (5.8%), and trauma- or stress-related disorder (TSRD) (9.2%) than those in lower age categories (Maggi et al., 2021)Mental Health Challenges Among Older People Discussion.

While interpersonal separation is indeed an important protective measure, it also fosters feelings of isolation, which might influence the formation of psychiatric disorders as well as increase vulnerability in individuals that already have them (Javed et al., 2020). The aged, by especially, are among the most susceptible categories. Suicide is linked to age, cognition, especially severe depressive illness. Since the virus, as well as the pressures dealing with human isolation, might increase the symptoms of age-related illnesses, this population needs close monitoring (Gustavsson & Beckman, 2020). According to World Health Organization, apart from the spread and vulnerability towards the coronavirus, the identification of mental health challenges in the elderly group of people can be done by the risk of the development of psychological illness, anxiety due to social restrictions, loneliness at home isolation norms.

Reporting And Treatment Of Older Person Mental Illness

Proper detection by the risk factors and symptoms followed by screening is important for the elderly population health. It is significant for the health care professionals and nurses to ensure in giving protection to mental health of the vulnerable population part from the physical health challenges.

COVID-19’s psychosocial pandemic of dread and terror spread faster than the virus physically. If COVID-19 infects the internal organs as well as paralyses the breathing, this same instrument of living, the virus’s dread infects that brains, this same human body’s radar station, as well as paralyses rationality (Bailey et al., 2021). The disease has affected the whole population, not just those who have been afflicted or have worked very closely alongside sick people. This results in dislike as well as prejudice toward patients or specific groups such as the aged population. Hatred and fear of the aged, who really are susceptible to viruses, had also suddenly became important social issues all across the planet (Philip & Cherian, 2020). Discrimination on the basis acts towards the elderly have been observed, including the refusal to provide medication or mockery. There seems to be an urgent need to discover and/or develop appropriate therapies, methods, and political measures for build and sustain good, healthy, and effective mental health problems in contemporary days. Compassion for the aged, as well as numerous emotional and physiological impacts, are extremely important.

COVID-19 prevention and treatment efforts are just as important as physical prevention and treatment efforts, specifically among the older population, who are at the highest risk. As a result, one of the most important tasks is to analyse, propose, and implement effective strategies for practical mental and psychological treatment for the older population (Bailey et al., 2021). Most can be founded on mental health psychosocial support guidelines recommended by global organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as disease management organisations like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP)Mental Health Challenges Among Older People Discussion.

COVID-19-induced anxiety seems to be a stressor that really can induce emotional and physiological suffering there in aged. Since it is the origin of emotional and physiological difficulties but, at the very same time, where the solution might well be discovered, an in-depth discussion on the subject is required (Philip & Cherian, 2020). Throughout COVID-19, it is critical to first evaluate underlying methodological challenge of coping mechanisms before making recommendations for the elderly’s emotional and physiological wellbeing. Whereas coping methods are classified in a variety of ways different studies, the most effective strategy for dealing with stress induced by COVID-19 is to utilise a combination of real concern as well as compassion coping techniques.

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Conclusion

Covid-19 has changed the country to the brink of a global catastrophe. “Such neighborhood wherein members understand and care for each other would come throughout” after a disaster. Acts of care, attention, and respect for the most disadvantaged populations, like the elderly, will now be the maintaining strength for combat the COVID-19 problem through start to finish, especially conjunction to actions to avoid contamination. Exercise should indeed be regarded for senior people’s emotional and physiological wellbeing. Physical activity has an important role in keeping the design and operational of the aged, extending independence throughout old age, lowering risks that could lead to medical disabilities, including preserving the equilibrium state required for metabolic. Physical activity is indeed linked towards the psychological health and some well of something like the elderly, as it improves cognitive and emotional processes, influences psychological state and well-being through sustaining social media networks, as well as improves their overall standard of living.

References

Bailey, L., Ward, M., DiCosimo, A., Baunta, S., Cunningham, C., Romero-Ortuno, R., … & Briggs, R. (2021). Physical and mental health of older people while cocooning during the COVID-19 pandemic. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 114(9), 648-653. https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/114/9/648/6104561

Banerjee, D. (2020). ‘Age and ageism in COVID-19’: Elderly mental health-care vulnerabilities and needs. Asian journal of psychiatry, 51, 102154. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7198430/

García-Fernández, L., Romero-Ferreiro, V., López-Roldán, P. D., Padilla, S., & Rodriguez-Jimenez, R. (2020). Mental health in elderly Spanish people in times of COVID-19 outbreak. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(10), 1040-1045. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7340042/

Girdhar, R., Srivastava, V., & Sethi, S. (2020). Managing mental health issues among elderly during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of geriatric care and research, 7(1), 32-35. https://www.academia.edu/download/63475639/JGCR_2020_7_120200530-128369-1j7wdho.pdf#page=38

Grolli, R. E., Mingoti, M. E. D., Bertollo, A. G., Luzardo, A. R., Quevedo, J., Réus, G. Z., & Ignácio, Z. M. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 in the mental health in elderly: psychological and biological updates. Molecular Neurobiology, 58(5), 1905-1916. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12035-020-02249-x Mental Health Challenges Among Older People Discussion