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Depression Deepens After Move

   As a Geriatric Care Manager, I had counseled many friends on the dangers of moving their parents to new locations.  The earlier the move is made, the fewer problems will develop.  The whole family needs to discuss the needs of the senior being moved and the ability of the designated caregiver to provide the needs.  If problems come to light, they have to be addressed before the move.  We had done all of this.  We took our time to search for a home, and all the children were on board with the plans.

    However, within two weeks, Gordon’s dreams turned to nightmares, and his depression became darker.  His antidepressant medications were increased, but there wasn’t too much change.  I encouraged him to make contact with some of his friends from the past.  This was slow going, and when he did make contact, it quickly disappeared.  He withdrew into the house and only went to the grocery store or had coffee with one old friend.  Other than that, he would only leave the house if I were with him.

    As we all know, caregivers need time for themselves.  I had always wanted to learn more about painting with watercolors and discovered an old friend, Peggy Cone, was teaching at the college.  By the end of the summer, I was enrolled in a class one morning a week.   This gave me one morning a week on my own.

    Gordon still had his golf clubs and wanted to play golf. Of course, that meant I had to play also.  He bought me a set of clubs, and I played for a few months and quickly got back into the swing, but I became a casualty to low back pains.   He did finally develop a few golf friends, and I was off the hook.

   As you can determine by now, being a caregiver for someone with depression requires one’s whole self - body and soul.  One can get lost quickly.