Depression in the older adult: recognition and nursing intervention.

The importance of identifying and intervening in elders with depression cannot be underestimated. The baby boom population is reaching the chronological milestone of being considered older age, which means that the percentage of older adults with depression will result in increased numbers of depressed older adults in all settings needing nursing care. Nurses must be able to recognize symptoms of depression, whether subsyndromal depression or major depression, to be able to intervene effectively. Depressive symptoms interfere with the quality of life and respond to nursing interventions that address psychosocial functioning including loss, educational strategies to increase understanding of depression as a disease, its treatment and adherence strategies, interventions that monitor and improve chronic medical illness, and recognize medication management that has the least likelihood of side effects. The importance of psychotherapies was not stressed above due to limitations in space, but in addition to problem solving therapy, cognitive and interpersonal supportive therapies are also effective. Electroconvulsive therapy is also effective in treating depression in the elderly when the patient is suicidal.