Online Geriatric Counseling for Older Age Adults
On the United We Care mental health platform, you can find licensed geriatric counselors and therapists who are specialized in assessing, diagnosing, and treating old age issues in elderly adults.
What is Geriatric Counseling?
Geriatric counselors assess, diagnose and treat physical and psychological issues in elderly adults, thus helping them improve their quality of life and prevent the deterioration of existing health issues.
Medical Issues Associated with Aging
Aging results in a variety of mental health issues for the geriatric population. There are quite a few common psychological disorders that impact the elderly adults, such as depressive disorder, cognitive disorder, phobias, parkinson’s disease, alzheimer’s and alcohol abuse disorder. The common physical impairments in old age are hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain, pulmonary diseases and diabetes. It is also possible that elderly people experience several disabilities at the same time.
Why Elderly Adults Need Counseling
The changes in psychological, physiological, social, emotional and financial life can result in a number of insecurities in old age adults. Elderly people are usually less willing to talk about their psychological conditions, and sometimes might avoid talking about their problems to not feel isolated or negative.
Benefits of Geriatric Counseling
The benefits of senior counseling, or elderly counseling, are:
Discovering New Aspects of Purpose and Meaning
In old age, in most cases, the responsibilities related to family, work, etc. no longer dominates their life. Thus, there is a feeling of emptiness. Counseling helps elderly adults in the transition phase. Also, it guides them in finding a new meaning in life by tapping into other parts of their personalities. For e.g.: motivating them to start writing, painting, singing, or exploring new locations which they otherwise couldn’t explore due to life’s everyday responsibilities.
Dealing with Loss and Grief
Loss of a loved one or life partner in old age makes elderly adults lose interest in life. It gets really difficult to cope and live with it. With the help of techniques such as CBT, counselors help in changing the thinking patterns and re-evaluating them in the light of reality.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
In this therapeutic technique, counselors helps old age adults focus on their feelings and thoughts in the present moment, without holding any judgement. This increases relaxation, all the while removing negative or stressful judgments.
How to Ask for Help Comfortably
Independent adults who strive to be on their own are likely to resist employing caregivers. Counselors will help seniors in accepting help.
Why Geriatric Counseling is Important
Old age is a sensitive phase of life. While giving the elderly attention & emotional care can go a long way in making them feel better, sometimes, specialized help is needed to treat and prevent disease for comfortable and healthy living. Geriatric counselors are neurological, psychological and health experts who treat health issues and provide support & care in times of need.
Treatment Options for Old Age Adults
The treatment options for old age adults are:
Physical Therapy
The purpose of this therapy is to strengthen weak muscles and increase mobility. It also helps in improving stamina, so that seniors can enjoy physical hobbies such as gardening, walking, etc.
Psychotherapy
In psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, the goal is to guide a person to understand their emotions and feelings, and gear up to tackle new challenges, both in the present and the future.
Client-Centered Therapy
The main principle of this therapy is to treat the client as an equal partner, rather than as an expert treating a patient. The therapist guides them and make them realize that the have the solution to their problems. As an individual, they know what is right for them.
Who Pays for Geriatric Counseling?
If you are concerned about the cost and payment for geriatric counseling, you can get in touch with our team for payment methods for your parents or family members.
Geriatric Care Tips | How to Care for Aging Parents or Seniors at Home
Here are a few tips for taking care of geriatric patients:
- Help them achieve emotional stability
- Keep in mind their preferences
- Handle them gently and with care
- Ensure regular health checkups
- Give them security and privacy
- Provide healthy and nutritional meals
- Talk to them whenever you can
- Seek help if you are unable to understand or diagnose what kind of problem they are facing