In Time For Holiday Season, American Geriatrics Society's Foundation For Health In Aging Offers Older Adults Advice On Beating The Holiday Blues

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 16 Nov 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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People of all ages can suffer the "holiday blues," but the upcoming season of celebrations, parties, and get-togethers can be particularly difficult for older adults, according to the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and its Foundation for Health in Aging.

"Older people may feel melancholy this time of year because the holidays remind them of times past and loved ones who have died or moved away," says foundation Chair Meghan Gerety, MD, Chief of Staff of the New Mexico VA Health Care System. "Health conditions or concerns about money can also make it harder for older adults to enjoy the holidays the way they once did."

To help older adults cope, the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) has released a comprehensive and easy-to-understand tip sheet, "Tips for Beating the Holiday Blues", available at seniors.

Among other things, the tip sheet advises older people to ask for additional assistance if they need help traveling to or preparing for holiday events. It encourages them to talk about their feelings, including feelings of loss and sadness, with confidants, and alerts them of warning signs of depression, urging those with these symptoms to see their healthcare providers.

In addition, the tip sheet offers advice to relatives and friends of older adults who seem to be experiencing the holiday blues. Finally, the tip sheet, guides older adults and their loved ones to the foundation's Web site -- http://www.healthinaging.org -- which offers easy-to-understand information on depression and myriad other health conditions affecting older people. The tip sheet, like all other information on the site, can be printed, copied and shared at no cost.

About The FHA

In 1999, the American Geriatrics Society reached beyond its traditional role as a professional medical society and launched the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA). The FHA aims to build a bridge between geriatrics health care professionals and the public, and advocate on behalf of older adults and their special needs: wellness and preventive care, self-responsibility and independence, and connections to family and community. The FHA champions initiatives in public education, clinical research, and public policy that advance the principles and practice of geriatrics medicine; educate policy makers and the public on the health care needs and concerns of older adults; support aging research that reduces disability and frailty, and improves quality of life and health outcomes; encourage older adults to be effective advocates for their own health care; and help family members and caregivers take better care of their older loved ones and themselves.

About The AGS

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research, and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,500 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine.

http://www.americangeriatrics.org