Mental Health Issues with Your Elderly Loved Ones

Jul 6

COVID-19 has created many issues, including making the elders in our lives feel stressed, isolated, lonely and hopeless. Below are several helpful tips to keep you connected to your loved one and help support them during this time: Mental Health

Set a time each week when you will call and check on them
- Seniors prefer schedules, and it gives them something to look forward to
Have the entire family unit set-up times to call
- The more touch points, the better
Teach your loved ones how to use video conferencing options (FaceTime, Zoom, etc.)
Ask your loved one how he/she is really doing and listen carefully without fixing
Hire a companion service for your loved one, if you feel it is needed
Ensure that your loved one is taking his/her medications properly
- Look for apps that allow you to help your loved one adhere to medication regimens (CareZone App, Med Helper App, Symple App, Med Minder, PillPack, etc.)
Play puzzles or games via a video conferencing solution such as FaceTime, Zoom, etc.
Share fun family memories
- Virtually go through old family albums together, sing a fun song together and/or allow grandchildren on the calls to brighten his/her day
Help your loved one learn how to create a gratitude jar
Encourage your loved one to talk to a trained, medical professional in mental health to discuss his/her feelings of loneliness, isolation or hopelessness, if needed
- Medication could ultimately be needed

This article was originally written by the Special Needs Alliance in July 2020.

Amelia Crotwell, JD

Amelia Crotwell, founder and managing partner at Elder Law of East Tennessee, has guided families through long-term care and special needs challenges for nearly two decades. Specializing in Life Care Planning and special needs trusts, Amelia also collaborates across all areas of elder law, including wills, trusts, Medicare, Medicaid, probate, and veterans benefits planning. Certified as an Elder Law Attorney since 2011, she is president-elect of the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association and co-chair of their strategic planning committee. Amelia is deeply involved in the Special Needs Alliance and a prominent member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She played a key role in founding the Tennessee chapter of NAELA, serving as its first president. A member of the Tennessee Bar Association and past chair of its Elder Law Section Executive Council, Amelia also dedicates time to pro bono work and community education. She earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law and teaches Elder Law there as an adjunct professor since 2018.