9 Psychological changes and ways to take care of the elderly's psychology

In old age, people tend to change both mentally and physically. That is the natural law of life. It is important that we are aware of the causes of psychological changes in the elderly and have adaptive methods to live in harmony with those changes.

Hopefully the following article helps you better understand the common psychological changes of the elderly! Let’s find out the difficulties that the elderly face. At the same time, understanding what the elderly need will help you to be closer to your grandparents. Thereby helping grandparents can enjoy their old age happily.

5 Causes of psychological changes in the elderly

Organ systems on the human body will decline in function over time. It also affects mental health. Some common causes of psychological changes in the elderly include:

1. Hormonal changes

The psychophysiological characteristics of the elderly that you should pay attention to are hormonal changes. The amount of hormonal hormones will change with each stage of a person’s life, especially for women. Hormones can affect the mood, energy, sleep, motivation, and other psychological factors of the elderly.

For women, as they age, estrogen levels drop significantly during menopause. Estrogen is closely linked to human mood. Hormonal imbalance problems can be diagnosed with blood tests and can be treated with hormone replacement therapy. However, for someone with a family history of breast or uterine cancer, hormone replacement therapy may not be recommended.

>> Read more: 9 foods that are good for the elderly to help live a healthy and long life

2. Grief and loss

As the elderly get older, seeing relatives and friends die makes the elderly sad. This can seriously affect the mental health of the elderly. Because the loss of a loved one, sibling, or close friend makes their mood more susceptible to changes when trying to adjust to life without this person.

This explains why the psychology of the elderly is often emotional and self-pitying.

>> Read more: Vulnerability in the elderly: How to limit?

3. Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (also called manic disorder) is a mood disorder that can lead to later episodes of depression. The following are symptoms of bipolar disorder:

• Acting optimistic or full of unusual energy
• An exaggerated sense of confidence
• Not sleeping as much as usual
• Talk about changing topics continuously: Jumping from topic to topic in conversation
• Reckless action.

>> See also: Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)

4. Cognitive decline

Alzheimer’s and dementia can have a big effect on mood and personality for older adults. Over time, cognitive decline can lose connection with the outside world. It is common for seniors with dementia to show signs of anger, agitation, anxiety, or sadness.

5. Physical health problems

Elderly people face many physical health problems. Chronic pain can also cause mood swings. If the pain is present and causes discomfort throughout the day, it can cause discomfort, confusion, and restlessness in the elderly.

>> Further reference: 9 most common diseases of the elderly and How to prevent them

Psychological changes in the elderly

The difficulties that the elderly face in addition to the physical problems, the psychological changes will also greatly affect the quality of their own lives and the relationships around them. Some of the psychological changes in the elderly are as follows:

1. Resist. Some older people have not yet accepted the changes in temperament and appearance in old age. While there are some other elders who may refuse to admit that these changes occur within themselves

2. Loneliness and sadness. What are the signs when the elderly feel self-pity? Older adults can isolate themselves, especially after experiencing some loss in life. In addition, the fact that children and grandchildren are too busy with work and do not spend much time with them will also make the elderly feel lonely because of loneliness.

>> Read more: Lonely old people: Understanding sadness and how to overcome it

3. Feeling helpless. As bodily functions decline, some older adults may feel helpless and helpless to arrange their own lives and have to rely on others to take care of them.

4. Constantly criticizing and doubting. Some elderly people become more suspicious, do not trust anyone, feel themselves being manipulated. This can affect relationships between members and disrupt family harmony.

5. Conservative. When older people feel out of control, they may try to regain control by forcing people to have their way. Conservatism will make it difficult for the elderly to get along with other family members.

6. Often reminds of the past (nostalgia). Older people tend to be nostalgic about events that happened when they were younger. Those events can be both happy and sad. Elderly people can distort reality and hold onto certain false beliefs. Because they do not want to accept the truth about the change of old age.

7. Strict and easy to anger. When older adults feel that they are out of control, they may react by expressing their anger. Expressing anger towards family members because they believe that their loved ones will still love them no matter how angry they are. So this can lead to discord in the family.

8. Or talkative. Elderly people want to pass on life experiences to their descendants, hoping that the next generation will not make the same mistakes they have gone through, so they always talk a lot, and want to help their children and grandchildren in the future.

9. Constantly worried. Some older people feel that everything is uncertain, they begin to tend to be depressed or anxious. It is important that you help the elderly understand that these feelings are normal and confident, and always be there to support them if the feelings persist and affect the elderly’s daily life.

>> Read more: What is the normal heart rate of the elderly? Cardiovascular care for the elderly

How to encourage and communicate with the elderly before those psychological changes?

What do old people need? To share and better understand how to take care of the elderly’s psychology, please practice the following:

• Listen in good faith. The generation gap can lead to conflicts, or differences of opinion. Therefore, it is very important to listen and understand the thoughts and perspectives of the elderly.
• Let the elderly play their role in the family. If you want to capture the psychology of the elderly, first, let the elderly be comfortable living the role they desire.
• Be more patient and open. Changes in the psychological characteristics of the elderly are sometimes beyond the control of grandparents. The psychology of the elderly is also affected by social changes, side effects of drugs, etc. Therefore, it is extremely important to be patient to understand the elderly better.

How to encourage and communicate with the elderly

You can refer to some of the following ways to encourage and communicate with the elderly, help them integrate and live a happier and more optimistic life:

• Ask and listen to the old memories of the elderly
• Holding a family reunion helps them get closer to their children and grandchildren

• Always be patient. For elderly people who talk a lot, you need to patiently listen to the story so that you can understand their aspirations and thoughts
• Consult the elderly. They will be happy and feel useful to help their children and grandchildren with their life experiences
• Be smart about making your point. Because of the generation gap and different upbringing, when you give a different point of view than the elderly, you can deftly express your point of view when talking to the elderly. To show respect and listen to the elders’ opinions such as: ”I agree with your views, I see many people think that … that I can consult more”.

>>> See more: 8 tips to take care of the elderly even when you are busy

Caring for and supporting the elderly is not easy, especially with regard to the psychological changes of the elderly. However, understanding the reasons for those changes will help us understand and empathize more with the hearts of the elderly. From there, it is possible to help the elderly have a happier and more optimistic life with their children and grandchildren.