LLT#196 - Are You Ashamed of Your Age, Your Ageing Family? Age Shaming: my Pet Peeve! Let it STOP!
#disruptaging #elderlyhealth #shame #guilt #fearoftheunknown #fearofjudgement #agediscrimination #immunesystem #depression #familycaregivers #old hearts #ageisjustanumber #caregiverburnout #physicianburnout
@BrenéBrown-p4e #bebravebeyou
@GrahamCochrane #disruptthenorm
Welcome back Family Caregivers, Older Persons and Fellow Physicians
Ageing is : fun, a time of renewal, an opportunity to mentor, to make new friends, live life!
And yes, reality check!
It IS a time when things are what they are🤷🏽♀️
Yet older persons are increasingly made to feel: valueless, ashamed of their age, of who they are, withdrawn into a shell of inaction and decline many times because society has generally "dismissed them".
Enter shame, guilt, embarrassment.-- MY PET PEEVE- age is NOT a disease!
According to one definition: Shame is the feeling that "something is wrong with me," worsening with the effects of the aging process: physical losses, emotional losses, memory losses, and losses of friends and family, all in the face of an indifferent and shaming society.
Shame, fear of "disclosing family business" and harmful gossip lead many to "hide" the realities of ageing, Family Caregiving, the feeling of helplessness, physician and Caregivers burnout, and a never ending cycle of --'We DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!", but "Who is there to talk to?"
Shame, guilt and embarrassment are only faced and resolved with CONVERSATION, COOPERATION, and a willingness to SHARE.
SUPPORT is what we ALL need.
Associate with peers, friends, share concerns, develop community groups.
If this is too much, and you need some formal , official "Clarity Call" - please contact me at www.lana's littlethings.com, or directly at lana@lanaannemd.com
Yet: it starts within-
Focus on the 5 "F"s:
1/ Fun 2/ Friendship and Family 3/ Focus (mindset) 4/ Fitness (start low and go slow) and 5/ Fluids (hydrate! - it does help , in everyway!
You Got This!!!💘🎯We Got This!🎯💘🫱🏽🫲🏾!
From my heart to yours always!💗
Dr. Lana
.........................................................
Overwhelmed? Let's connect: 📧lana@lanaannemd.com
For more insights and connect for a FREE face-to-Face 15 minute Zoom call, and a place where we can connect as physicians on my website:
lanaslittlethings.com
If you're a Family Caregiver at your wit's end, needing a different perspective, set up your free 15-minute coaching call-also by email -lana@lanaannemd.com - or on lanaslittlethings.com.
I always look forward to meeting Fellow Family Caregivers- we gotta stick together!💯
#depression #depressionsupport #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #depressionsymptoms #familycaregivers #mentalhealthstigma
The stigma attached to mental illness and psychiatric treatment is even more powerful among older people. This stigma can keep older people from admitting that they are depressed, even to themselves.
Even for the physician, the appearance of depression in older persons can be confusing and convoluted since it can overlap with so many other age related concerns.
How can you tell if you, your loved one or your patient are struggling with depression?
Is there ANY thing at all that can be done?
What are some features that differentiate the signs of depression in older persons? (generally defined as a prolonged sad mood between 6 weeks to 6 months)
😠😢😡😂😀Mood swings, but primarily sadness
🛏️💤😵💫Sleep disturbance - more often insomnia
🤐😤🤐Withdrawal and disinterest
😖Loss of appetite
⚰️Feeling as if life is ending
😕Feeling confused
⚰️Wanting to die
😨Afraid to die - afraid of getting older and dying
What can place a person at risk for depression?
1/GRIEF and LOSS - as they see or hear of close friends , relatives and workmates die, there is an (understandable) sense of not only isolation, but fear of "will I be next"?
2/Sudden onset of CHRONIC ILLNESS - (hypertension, heart disease, hospitalisation and the like, especially if one was in good health before
3/RETIREMENT- the gateway to "freedom"? Or an open door into a scary unknown of a loss of identity
Especially if there is a rotating family unit, ensure that you have a system of handover to inform for signs to monitor any changes .
Being mindful of the subtle signs can lead to early intervention and management , so remember to:
1/ Ask them if they feel unwell (most questions will be met with denial), so be inventive- call the Family Physician who may be able to better persuade for lab tests that may indicate a treatable cause (such as B12 deficiency or Thyroid disease)
2/Arrange a routine - having a definite idea of daily plans makes life seem less mundane and more worthwhile
3/ Encourage exercise (safely) , of all kinds, 🚴🏽🚲🏊🏽🧘🏽🧑🏽🌾🏡; memory games...
We ALL need and deserve to feel valid.💖
Let us bring compassion, empathy and understanding to the table.
You Got This!!!💘🎯We Got This!🎯💘🫱🏽🫲🏾!
From my heart to yours💗
Dr. Lana..........................................................
Overwhelmed? Let's connect: 📧lana@lanaannemd.com
For more insights and connect for a FREE face-to-Face 15 minute Zoom call, and a place where we can connect as physicians on my website:
lanaslittlethings.com
If you're a Family Caregiver at your wit's end, needing a different perspective, set up your free 15-minute coaching call-also by email -lana@lanaannemd.com - or on lanaslittlethings.com.
I always look forward to meeting Fellow Family Caregivers- we gotta stick together!💯
