by Linda Joyce

Created on: January 11, 2009   Last Updated: February 21, 2010

One of the biggest problems today regarding the elderly is loneliness. There is nothing as heartbreaking as seeing an elderly person sitting in a chair, staring into space, like they have given up on living. This can be the case whether the person is in assisted living, a hospital, or even in their own home.

When I was a private duty caregiver, I never ran into this problem, as I always found ways to entertain or keep my charge occupied.

Having also worked in an assisted living setting (but not as a caregiver), I know the staff is overworked and underpaid, and that they are responsible for many more residents than they should be. They also have to deal with the fact that although some residents should be considered qualified for assisted living; others definitely should not, which presents an unfair challenge to the workers.

Whether you are working with the elderly professionally or are a family member entrusted with caring for a loved one, you must find ways to help your patients feel that they are still a part of this world and have a life to live. One of the biggest problems in dealing with the elderly is depression, and I believe that depression is due in part to the fact that they do not have much to do.

I was lucky enough to be a part of a program (coordinator) for an intergenerational program that existed for a few years, in which elementary school children were bussed to about six different nursing homes in our community once a week to spend quality time with seniors who eagerly awaited their visits. The program was worthwhile, but like so many other programs, lack of funding caused it to go by the wayside. I still remember the joy in the faces of the residents when they saw the children file in each week. It didn't matter if they were doing a craft project together, or just talking, the program was equally beneficial to both the elderly and the children.

Even without formal programs like that, though, there are still several things that we can do to engage the elderly.

When I was doing caregiving, I made sure that my charge got outside, even if it were only for a short period each day, weather permitting. In the beginning when trying to establish this as a "routine" occurrence, I, of course, met with protest. However, it soon became second nature, and the woman I cared for actually enjoyed those times we spent outside in her garden before lunch on most days.

Another thing that helped ward off the depression that was common to her was a cat. Yes, a

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