Hello World! Welcome Friends! The process of aging is a part of life. Often, people moving into a retirement stage of life face dramatic changes in lifestyle. Day to day activities slow down and more time is devoted to hobbies or to family. If a sense of boredom settles in or depression may develop. Elders who fall victim to these emotional issues may turn to unhealthy activities in a desperate attempt to escape unpleasant feelings. Alcohol or drugs may become a problem. The results can be catastrophic if an intervention is not undertaken. Rapidly failing health may result and liver problems or alcohol induced dementia may occur.
Healthcare professionals often discover these situations before family members are aware of them. These providers are faced with the difficult tasks of informing family members and helping establish a plan for treatment. Careful planning and the involvement of family members are keys to success. Help is available for this most vulnerable group of the population.
Avoiding this problem through prevention is one important approach to decreasing its rate of occurrence. Approaches to prevention that can be employed include early education and counseling as well as social support mechanisms.
Early Education and Counseling
It is important to find ways to avoid this issue ever becoming a problem. Counseling, as older adults make the transition from a full-time career to retirement, can be a tremendous help. Education in the workplace addressing this issue is perhaps the best opportunity for introducing the subject. Employers who are sensitive to individuals approaching retirement age might include some form of counseling. Sessions about plans to avoid boredom or loneliness in retirement can be part of out-processing.
Healthcare providers are another potential place where recognition of the issue and recommendations could be made. Referrals to counseling services might be the best avenue to help these older transitioning adults. Developing a plan to avoid reaching to alcohol or pills for instant relief from challenging emotional changes that come with retirement can be part of this approach.
Social Supports
Engaging in social activities can reduce the likelihood of senior adult substance dependence and abuse. If an individual falls victim to this problem these same activities can be an important part of their treatment plan. Being connected with others plays a vital role in self-image and feelings of self-worth. Seniors who have been part of active careers for decades have often met these needs at their place of employment. Losing this connection at retirement and not replacing it can trigger feelings of being useless or worthless.
Developing a plan, as retirement age approaches, to find a place for either volunteering or participating in a club or organization of peer group members can address this issue. Often, taking up a hobby of some kind can facilitate this process. Adults often put off the pursuit of creative interests because of career demands. Now is the time to resurrect these ideas and find a way to help establish social connections and a sense of belonging.
The risk of retirees turning to unhealthy habits is real. They are tempting avoidance techniques for emotional challenges that attend retirement. This social problem may grow as the retiree population size grows. Finding effective methods of prevention is a worthwhile effort. These vulnerable members of society can play a very important role in enriching everyone’s lives.
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