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 EMPTY
NEST SYNDROME
It refers to feelings of
depression, sadness, and/or grief experienced by parents and
caregivers after children come of age and leave their childhood
homes. This may occur when children go to college or get married.
Women are more likely than men to be affected; often, when the
nest is emptying, mothers are going through other significant
life events as well, such as menopause or caring for elderly
parents.
Symptoms
 Feelings
of sadness
Spending
time in the absent child's bedroom to feel closer to him or
her.
If you are feeling that
your useful life has ended, or if you are crying excessively or are
so sad that you don't want to see friends or go to work Ask
for help, now.
DEATH AND DYING
Death is the one great
certainty in life. Some of us will die in ways out of our control,
and most of us will be unaware of the moment of death itself. Still,
death and dying well can be approached in a healthy way.
Understanding that people differ in how they think about death and
dying, and respecting those differences, can promote a peaceful
death and a healthy manner of dying. The primary course of action
when death is near is to fulfill the dying person's wishes. If the
person is dying from an illness, ideally, they will have
participated in decisions about how to live and die. If the requests
made do not seem practical to the care-giver, options should be
raised with the dying individual to try to accommodate his request
and still provide adequate care. If the dying individual has not
been able to participate in formulating final plans, you should
strive to do what this person would want.
Symptoms
Increased
anxiety, discomfort, confusion, agitation, nervousness
Increased
inactivity, lethargy or sleep
Loss
of interest in daily activities
As a family member or
friend of a dying and you do not know
what and how to do...
Ask
for help, now.
ELDER OR DEPENDENT ADULT
ABUSE
Each year hundreds of thousands
of elderly people are abused, neglected and exploited. These victims
are frail, vulnerable and cannot help themselves. They depend on
others to meet their most basic needs.
Symptoms
Bruises
and lacerations
Broken
or fractured bones
Untreated
injuries in various stages of healing
Elder's
sudden change in behavior, including becoming depressed,
agitated, withdrawn and non-communicative
Dehydration,
malnutrition, untreated bedsores and poor hygiene
If the elder is in
immediate danger, call 911. If you are a caretaker and feel
overwhelmed, Ask
for help, now.
ELDER OR DEPENDENT ADULT
NEGLECT
Each year hundreds of
thousands of seniors are neglected by family members and
caretakers. Many victims are people who cannot help themselves
and depend on others to meet their most basic needs. Neglect is
when a caregiver does not provide for an elder's physical and/or
psychological needs. Physical neglect can mean failing to
provide an elder with adequate and necessary medication or
physical therapy, not taking care of an elder's personal hygiene
needs, or forcing an elder to live in unsanitary or potentially
harmful conditions. Psychological neglect can mean leaving an
older person alone for long periods of time, or failing to
provide social contact, activities or information.
Symptoms
Unexplained
worsening of medical conditions
Unexplained
injuries or unlikely explanations for injuries
Dehydration
or malnutrition (often evidenced by loss of weight or
extreme thirst)
Poor
personal hygiene
Ambivalent
feelings toward caregivers or family members
If you suspect that a
senior is being neglected by his or her caretaker, contact your
county's Adult Protective Service's unit. If you are a caretaker and
feel overwhelmed,
Ask
for help, now.
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