Is Your Elderly Loved One Suffering from Pandemic Fatigue?
Are you concerned with the mental health of your elderly loved ones during the pandemic? As the pandemic continues, so does the isolation and distance between us. This can be taking a toll on our elderly relatives that have been isolated for almost a year in order to stay safe. Even with the help of the experts in home health care in Philadelphia, PA, they can still be suffering. Here are a few signs that they may be suffering from pandemic fatigue or depression.
Pessimism
Feeling an overwhelming amount of negativity towards life can be one of the main symptoms of pandemic fatigue. Many people have been discovering that they simply don't care about certain things, as they have lowered their expectations of daily life because of the restrictions. Avoid feeling pessimistic by focusing on the things that you can do.
Difficulty Making Choices
Because of the constantly changing news cycle, guidelines, business updates, and overall media coverage, many people have been having a difficult time making choices. When they are faced with an opportunity or important choice, they freeze. They may not know whether it's safe to commit to plans or may feel discomfort about a particular situation.
Difficulty Thinking Clearly
In addition to having trouble making decisions, many people have stated that they are having trouble thinking clearly at all. As we are stuck at home or uprooted from our normal routines, we have had to adjust in ways we never predicted. This caused a shift in our expectations that may have led us to become confused, lost, or unclear about how to proceed.
Eating or Sleeping Too Much
As businesses close and offices switch to remote work, many of us are spending more of our time at home. This is especially true for the elderly, as they are in the high-risk group. This has led to changes in our routine that have caused many of us to sleep more, eat more, or just lay around more. When this occurs, the fatigue may actually become more severe.
Fatigue
Even if you aren't physically sleeping more hours each night, you may still feel tired, achy, or just overall fatigued more frequently. Your mood may be negatively affected, which can result in sluggishness, lack of motivation, and fatigue.
Feeling Left Out
Many of us are missing friends, restaurants, events, and other entertainment options. It is even more severe for the elderly, as their risk is much higher, which means they are staying even more isolated. Because of this, we may be feeling left out, even if there isn't anything to be left out of. Feeling isolated and alone increases the negativity surrounding pandemic fatigue.
These are some of the main symptoms that could indicate your loved one is suffering from fatigue or depression from the never-ending pandemic. When you have elderly loved ones that are struggling with the isolation and loneliness brought on by the pandemic, you will want to take extra care to stay connected and in touch with them. Our professionals in home health care in Philadelphia, PA will take extra care of their health to ensure they are still thriving despite the pandemic. Contact us to hear how we can help today.