Judge This Book By Its Cover

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but have you ever looked at someone and thought, “This person needs someone to talk to, now.“  Sometimes what you see is what you get.  

Appearances are very important, no matter what some might say.  People are judged by how they dress, the color of their eyes, skin color, hair color and how they speak.  This judging is not always bad.  Has that rosy glow left the cheeks of your loved one?  Being observant of how a person's appearance has changed or how their habits now differ may help you to help them - it may even save their lives.  There are signs that appear in a person that will indicate that person may be going through something they can’t handle on their own.  A lack of energy, even though that person has had a full night's sleep, or lack of appetite for long periods of time are a couple of signs that there might be some thing wrong.  The older people get, the less likely they are able to do the things they used to.  Not being able to do what a person considers to be a simple task can cause feelings of worthlessness, which may lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, or even attempts of suicide.   Don’t hesitate to let your loved ones know your are worried about them.

Depression in the elderly is a growing problem.  Going online can help you get the information to make an informed decision on how to help your loved one cope.  The Web is incredibly packed with information.  Use every tool at your disposal to keep those most dear to you around as long as possible.